Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (born September 2, 1928 in Norwalk, Connecticut) is a famous
jazz pianist and composer born to a Cape Verdean father (of mixed Portuguese-black descent) and a mother of Irish and African descent. He is known for his distinctive humorous and funky playing style, and for his pioneering contributions to
hard bop. Silver was influenced by a wide range of musical styles, notably
gospel music, African music, and Latin American music. Silver began his career as a saxophonist, but later switched to piano.