Our recently released CD of Horace Silver music “Joyful Noise” has received a rewarding response form jazz radio stations all over the country. We are getting a remarkable amount of airplay on the strength of Horace’s music and the quality and vitality of the performances. This music is deeply ingrained in my listening and playing history, less so for the younger band members. But everyone warmed to the material, and the result of months of living with the music in preparation for the recording has been deeply satisfying. Each piece hits its “character” mark, and there is a satisfying variety, in spite of all of the music having been written by one composer - a credit to Horace, to our varied arrangements, and to the commitment of the soloists to finding the right approach to each piece.
George Fendel’s review from the Oregon Jazz Society:
Joyful Noise - The Music Of Horace Silver; Chuck Israels Jazz Orchestra.
Horace Silver’s bluesy, soulful, finger-snapping compositions will forever be admired and played by jazz musicians drawn to his undeniable magic. For this most welcome session, Portland bassist and leader Chuck Israels has arranged some of Silver’s timeless works and has put them in the hands of his eight piece jazz orchestra. The Portland-based musicians embraced the project with obvious enthusiasm, and you can hear it from note one. It’s quite the thrill to hear these great melodies once again.But Chuck and his guys give them a new and fresh approach.
As you know, Silver’s ensemble was almost always a quintet. So the addition of three more voices in Israel’s orchestra brings new colors and textures not heard in the original quintet setting. The arrangements are never slick or pretentious, and they allow for generous solo space from nearly all the players. There are eleven Silver gems here, with titles such as “Sister Sadie,” “Doodlin’,” “Strollin’,” “Peace,” and among others my personal favorite, “Cookin’ at the Continental.” This is honest, classic jazz played by eight superb players. And they often sound like a much larger aggregation. I only wish that Silver could have heard this performance. I think he would have loved it! And I further expect that this will be among my preferred albums of 2015.