A decade after the passing of pianist and hard bop pioneer Horace Silver, veteran vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu pays homage to the legend in the most unique of ways, sifting through the several hundred pieces the legend composed to compile a perfect eight that would adapt powerfully to a vibes-lead trio setting on the quite cleverly titled Silver on Aluminum.
For those unfamiliar with the very versatile Tarmu, it’s significant to note that this is the first of his ten albums for which he did not write at least 90 percent of the tunes. Tarmu has ventured throughout his storied career from straight ahead jazz and jazz funk to classical and Middle Eastern music. Summing up his inspiration to create a Silver-themed project, he says, “The magic of Horace Silver is his ability to find the shortest, straightest, most direct line from point A to point B. There’s no fat on the bone of his compositions."
Working with young New York cats Marty Isenberg (bass) and Michael Shapira (drums), Tarmu keeps the energy burning and improvisational excitement flying high throughout, focusing mostly on Silver gems from the early 50s to 1960, finding a unique center on three tracks from 1960’s Horace-Scope, including the peppy, rumbling “Horacescope” (on which he craftily subs his vibes for the original two horn arrangement), a cool, shuffling strut through the infectiously enchanting “Strollin’” and the speedy, hypnotic closing jam “Yeah,” which sends the album off with the same kind of nervous energy and literal boom and bang of the opening romp “The St. Vitus Dance.”
While Tarmu and his trio keep us tantalized and mesmerized throughout with their hard swing and intuitive ensemble work, Silver on Aluminum is also an effective open door to some of Silver’s greatest compositions over a key 20-year period from 1953 (the plucky, fast grooving “Opus de Funk”) to the feisty, polyrhythmic free for all “Gregory Is Here.” It’s hard to imagine any pianist ever creating a tribute that captures Silver’s spirit as well as this album.
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