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Song for My Father

Song for My Father

  • Artist: Horace Silver
  • Total time: 62:26
  • Label:
  • Availability: In stock
  • Item #: 5183377
  • Your Price: $17.98
Currently available in US only.

Review

One of Blue Note's greatest mainstream hard bop dates, Song for My Father is Horace Silver's signature LP and the peak of a discography already studded with classics. Silver was always a master at balancing jumping rhythms with complex harmonies for a unique blend of earthiness and sophistication, and Song for My Father has perhaps the most sophisticated air of all his albums. Part of the reason is the faintly exotic tint that comes from Silver's flowering fascination with rhythms and modes from overseas -- the bossa nova beat of the classic "Song for My Father," for example, or the Eastern-flavored theme of "Calcutta Cutie," or the tropical-sounding rhythms of "Que Pasa?" Subtle touches like these alter Silver's core sound just enough to bring out its hidden class, which is why the album has become such a favorite source of upscale ambience. Song for My Father was actually far less focused in its origins than the typical Silver project; it dates from the period when Silver was disbanding his classic quintet and assembling a new group, and it features performances from both bands (and, on the CD reissue with bonus tracks, three different sessions). Still, it hangs together remarkably well, and Silver's writing is at its tightest and catchiest. The title cut became Silver's best-known composition, partly because it provided the musical basis for jazz-rock group Steely Dan's biggest pop hit "Rikki Don't Lose That Number." Another hard bop standard is introduced here in the lone non-Silver tune, tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," covered often for the challenge of its stuttering phrases and intricate rhythms. Yet somehow it comes off as warm and inviting as the rest of the album, which is necessary for all jazz collections -- mainstream hard bop rarely comes as good as Song for My Father. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Track Listing

1. Song for My Father 7:18
2. Natives Are Restless Tonight 6:10
3. Calcutta Cutie 8:31
4. Que Pasa? 7:47
5. Kicker 5:26
6. Lonely Woman 7:02
7. Sanctimonious Sam [*] 3:55
8. Que Pasa? [Trio Version][*] 5:38
9. Sighin' and Cryin' [*] 5:25
10. Silver Threads Among My Soul [*] 3:51

Details of This Recording

  • Label:
  • Credits:
  • Additional Info:
  • Styles:
    • United States of America
    • Hard Bop
    • Soul-Jazz
    • Jazz

Contents

Remastered!

Song for My Father; The Natives Are Restless Tonight; Calcutta Cutie; Que Pasa?*; The Kicker; Lonely Woman; Sanctimonious Sam; Sighin' and Cryin'; Silver Treads Among My Soul.

(*Includes alternate version.)

Horace Silver, Piano; Roy Brooks, Roger Humphries, Drums; Carmell Jones, Blue Mitchell, Trumpets; Teddy Smith, Gene Taylor, Bass; Junior Cook, Joe Henderson, Tenor Saxes.

Read About This Recording

Horace Silver has always forged his own creative but highly accessible musical path in jazz. Although his original influence was the innovative bebop pianist Bud Powell, Silver brought his own brand of rhythmic and melodic soul to his music, both as a pianist and as a composer. His playing and writing perfectly symbolized the funky jazz of the 1950s and '60s.

Early on, Silver was influenced a bit by the Cape Verdean folk music he heard as a child, in addition to jazz. In 1950, his trio played a concert with tenor-saxophonist Stan Getz. Getz so enjoyed the music that he hired the group as his touring quartet, which resulted in Silver being discovered. He freelanced in the New York area, began recording for Blue Note and, from 1954-56, was the co-leader of The Jazz Messengers along with drummer Art Blakey. After going out on his own, he formed his own quintet, a group considered a pacesetter in hard bop and soul jazz as Silver's style became a major force.

Horace Silver's glory years, particularly on record, were from 1956-1969. Song For My Father dates from 1964 and is one of the pianist's most famous albums. The title cut became a hit and a jazz standard while the original program also included notable Silver originals in Calcutta Cutie and Lonely Woman, plus Joe Henderson's The Kicker. While Calcutta Cutie features the famous Silver Quintet frontline of trumpeter Blue Mitchell and tenor-saxophonist Junior Cook, the remainder of the set has the equally rewarding trumpeter Carmell Jones and Joe Henderson on tenor. The CD reissue of this classic program adds four additional performances including Sanctimonious Sam and a trio rendition of Que Pasa.

Virtually all of Horace Silver's Blue Note recordings are very rewarding, but Song For My Father is among his very best and is highly recommended.

-Scott Yanow