Horace Silver: Song for My Father
Musicians:
Horace Silver (piano), Carmell Jones (trumpet), Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Teddy Smith (bass), Roger Humphries (drums).
Composed by Horace Silver
.Recorded: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 26, 1964
Rating: 93/100 (learn more)
Although Horace Silver was a mainstay of the hard-bop/soul movement in the 1950s as both pianist and composer, he did not record his best-known tune until 1964. Having heard authentic bossa nova during a recent trip to Brazil, Silver incorporated the beat into a piece he dedicated to his father, who was of Portuguese descent. The song’s simple melody and minor harmony over the bossa nova rhythm create a languid, somewhat reverential mood that stands in contrast to one of tenorist Joe Henderson’s most passionate and moving solos.
Reviewer: David Franklin
Other reviews for this track:
- Horace Silver: Song For My Father by Bill Kirchner (100/100)
Tags: 1960s jazz · blue note
1 response so far
I once asked Joe Henderson whether he had pre-structured his solo on "Song For My Father" by figuring out what to play on the tune through live performances prior to recording it in the studio. The solo seemed so architecturally perfect - so composed - almost too perfect for "pure improvisation". He reacted with horror to the suggestion, of course, and insisted it was a spur of the moment solo. And he, of course, left many similarly "perfect" solos behind - another one that is also super-funky, but much less known, is on the song "Wiggle-Waggle" from Herbie's "Fat Albert Rotunda". But architectural integrity, not wasting notes or phrases - Joe was one of the true masters of those disciplines.