[4]: 57–58 The original version featured Silver on piano, with Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Doug Watkins (bass), and Art Blakey (drums).
"Fired by the song's rocking beat, Dorham and Mobley soar into blues-drenched, vocally inflected solos.
Silver follows with a typically stripped-down statement, built around first a two-chord percussive figure and then a descending run, each repeated.
"[3] "The gospel influence of 'The Preacher' was achieved subtly [...] with a melody and associated riffs which had a natural, built-in back-beat.
[8] The song was soon covered by other musicians, including organist Jimmy Smith (on At Club Baby Grand, Volume 1, 1956)[9] and trombonist Kai Winding (on Trombone Panorama, 1956).