Opus de Funk (composition)
"Opus de Funk" (sometimes "Opus De Funk") is a composition by Horace Silver. The original version, by Silver's trio, was recorded on November 23, 1953.
| "Opus de Funk" | |
|---|---|
| Composition by Horace Silver | |
| from the album Horace Silver Trio, Vol. 2 and Art Blakey - Sabu | |
| Recorded | November 23, 1953. WOR Studios, New York, U.S. |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Label | Blue Note |
| Composer(s) | Horace Silver |
| Producer(s) | Alfred Lion |
Composition
It is "a typical Silver creation: advanced in its harmonic structure and general approach but with a catchy tune and finger-snapping beat."[1] This was an early use of the word "funk" in a song title.[2]
Original recording and release
The piece was first recorded on November 23, 1953, by the Horace Silver Trio, of Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass), and Art Blakey (drums).[3] It was released with other Silver and Blakey recordings as part of the Blue Note Records 10-inch Horace Silver Trio, Vol. 2 and Art Blakey - Sabu, then on the 12-inch Horace Silver Trio and Art Blakey-Sabu. The track was also released as a single around 1954.[4]
Later versions
As of 2014, more than 60 versions of the song had been recorded.[5]
References
- "Horace Silver – Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. June 19, 2014.
- Jenkins Jr., Everett (2001). Pan-African Chronology III. McFarland. p. 472.
- Silver, Horace (2006). Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty: The Autobiography of Horace Silver. University of California Press. p. 203. ISBN 978-0-520-25392-6.
- "Reviews of New Jazz Records" (June 19, 1954) The Billboard. p. 40.
- McDonough, John (September 2014) "Horace Silver". Down Beat p. 49.