Blowin' the Blues Away

Blowin' the Blues Away
Studio album by Horace Silver
Released	1959
Recorded	August 29-30 & September 13, 1959 Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre	Jazz
Length	42:54
Label	Blue Note BST 84017
Producer	Alfred Lion
Horace Silver chronology
Finger Poppin' (1959) Blowin' the Blues Away (1959) Horace-Scope (1960)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Blowin' the Blues Away is an album by jazz pianist Horace Silver, released on the Blue Note label in 1959 featuring performances by Silver with Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, and Louis Hayes.

The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars and states "Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Horace Silver's all-time Blue Note classics, only upping the ante established on Finger Poppin' for tightly constructed, joyfully infectious hard bop... The pacing of the album is impeccable, offering up enough different feels and slight variations on Silver's signature style to captivate the listener throughout... Through it all, Silver remains continually conscious of the groove, playing off the basic rhythms to create funky new time patterns. The typical high-impact economy of his and the rest of the band's statements is at its uppermost level, and everyone swings with exuberant commitment. In short, Blowin' the Blues Away is one of Silver's finest albums, and it's virtually impossible to dislike".

Track listing

All compositions by Horace Silver except as indicated

1. "Blowin' the Blues Away" - 4:44
2. "The St. Vitus Dance" - 4:09
3. "Break City" - 4:57
4. "Peace" - 6:02
5. "Sister Sadie" - 6:19
6. "The Baghdad Blues" - 4:52
7. "Melancholy Mood" - 7:10
8. "How Did It Happen" (Don Newey) - 4:41 Bonus track on CD

Recorded August 29 (tracks 1, 6), August 30 (#3, 4, 5, 8) & September 13 (#2, 7), 1959.

Personnel

• Horace Silver - piano
• Blue Mitchell - trumpet (tracks 1, 3-6 & 8)
• Junior Cook - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 3-6 & 8)
• Gene Taylor - bass
• Louis Hayes - drums

Production

• Alfred Lion - producer
• Reid Miles - design
• Rudy Van Gelder - engineer
• Francis Wolff - photography