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
RecordedNovember 23, 1953. WOR Studios, New York, U.S.
GenreJazz
LabelBlue Note
Composer(s)Horace Silver
Producer(s)Alfred Lion

Composition

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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

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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

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As of 2014, more than 60 versions of the song had been recorded.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Horace Silver – Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. June 19, 2014.
  2. ^ Jenkins Jr., Everett (2001). Pan-African Chronology III. McFarland. p. 472.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Reviews of New Jazz Records" (June 19, 1954) The Billboard. p. 40.
  5. ^ McDonough, John (September 2014) "Horace Silver". Down Beat p. 49.