He was one of the pioneers of a rhythmic jazz style known as hard bop.
Silver began his career as a tenor saxophonist in clubs in Connecticut. But after he moved to New York in the 1950s, he switched to piano and began performing at the Blue Note Jazz Club.
Many of his compositions became jazz standards, including Sister Sadie, The Preacher and Filthy McNasty.
His family came from Cape Verde, and Silver was influenced by the folk music from the Portuguese-speaking islands off of Africa.
Stanley Clarke, bass player, tweets: "I enjoyed so much the time that I spent with Horace Silver.... He was the greatest bandleader.... On to higher places Horace!!!!!!!"
Presenter Jez Nelson of BBC Radio 3's Jazz on 3 tweets: "RIP Horace Silver. A sweet man and a great writer. One of my first ever jazz interviews. 1984? Backstage at Ronnie's"
"He was not only prolific, he was a unique composer," said Phil Pastras, editor of Silver's 2006 book, Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty, told the Chicago Tribune. "Even an ordinary 12-bar blues in his hands turned into something magical."
One of his earliest musical influence was his father, who played multiple instruments, including the violin, guitar and mandolin.
His first album is regarded as a milestone in the development of hard bop - a style Silver continued to explore during his 25-year relationship with Blue Note records.
"Silver's piano style - terse, imaginative, and utterly funky - became a model for subsequent mainstream pianists to emulate."
Horace Silver also performed with many jazz greats such as Lester Young, Miles Davis and Art Blakey.
His piano style has been described as "involving sharply defined, bluesy right hand phrasing, over a grumbling left-hand bass unlike the style of any other player".
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