born Sept. 2, 1928, Norwalk, Conn., U.S.
U.S. jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader.
Silver performed with Art Blakey he led the Jazz Messengers from 1954, then formed his own quintet in 1956, performing his own compositions in arrangements that provided the template for much of the hard bop (see bebop ) of the 1950s and '60s. Influenced by Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk , Silver combined the sophistication of bebop with the earthiness of the {{link=blues">blues in compositions such as "The Preacher," "Opus de Funk," and "Sister Sadie."