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Review 1
Far and away Horace Silver's most famous Blue Note album, Song for My Father is also a transitional document of sorts. The bulk of the original LP features a brand new 1964 quintet with Carmell Jones on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor, Teddy Smith on bass, and Roger Humphries on drums. But two tracks, "Calcutta Cutie" and the trio ballad "Lonely Woman," are from an earlier session (Halloween, 1963) with Silver's previous working band - with Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Gene Taylor on bass, and Roy Brooks on drums. (Pat Metheny covered "Lonely Woman" on acoustic guitar for his 1983 album Rejoicing.)
The RVG Edition of Song for My Father gives us additional material from the 1963 session, as well as two tracks from a third, January 1964 session, also with the earlier quintet ("Sighin' and Cryin'," "Silver Treads Among My Soul"). The waltz "Sanctimonious Sam" proves to be the essence of Silverian hardbop. And the trio take of "Que Pasa?" offers a fascinating contrast with the quintet version from the original LP. This tune, in particular, exemplifies the island sound Silver was after as he set out to honor his Cape Verdean heritage.
Joe Henderson's contributions, from his incendiary solo on the title track to the inclusion of "The Kicker" (now one of his more famous tunes), deserve emphasis as well.
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. |
Players
Horace Silver, Carmell Jones, Joe Henderson, Teddy Smith, Roger Humphries, Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Gene Taylor, Roy Brooks |
Tracks
Song For My Father, The Natives Are Restless Tonight, Calcutta Cutie, Que Pasa?, The Kicker, Lonely Woman, Sanctimonious Sam, Que Pasa? (Trio Version), Sighin' And Cryin', Silver Treads Among My Soul |
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