Song For My Father

“ファンキーの伝道師“ホレス・シルヴァーが、父親、そしてファミリーへ捧げた1965年オリジナル・リリースの代表作にして大人気盤。ジョー・ヘンダーソンを含む新クインテットによるエキゾティックなタイトル曲が大ヒット。他、歴史ある旧クインテットによる最後の名曲＜カルカッタ・キューティ＞を収録。

1963年10月に行われたブルー・ミッチェル(Blue Mitchell)、ジュニア・クック(Junior Cook)、ジーン・テイラー(Gene Taylor)、ロイ・ブルックス(Roy Brooks)とのセッションから2曲を、そしてその1年後、カーメル・ジョーンズ、ジョー・ヘンダーソン、テディ・スミス、ロジャー・ハンフリーズを迎えた新しいバンドと共にヴァル・ゲルダー・スタジオに入り、彼の代表曲となる "Song for My Father "を含む4曲を収録した彼のクインテットの変遷を捉えた作品。
【パーソネル】Horace Silver(p) Carmell Jones(tp) Joe Henderson(ts) Teddy Smith(b) Roger Humphries(ds):M-1,2,4,5
Horace Silver(p) Blue Mitchell(tp) Junior Cook(ts) Gene Taylor(b) Roy Brooks(ds):M-3
Horace Silver (p) Gene Taylor(b) Roy Brooks(ds):M-6

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. 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