Horace Silver: Opus de Funk

Horace Silver came to New York City in 1950 after being hired by Stan Getz. Soon he became much in demand as a sideman for a variety of "name" leaders. His first recordings as a leader were trio sessions for Blue Note in 1952-53 with Art Blakey on drums and Gene Ramey, Curly Russell or Percy Heath on bass.

"Opus de Funk" is a good example of early Silverfluent bebop in the Bud Powell idiom, but with an earthiness that recalls earlier eras. (Appropriately, the tune is a blues.) Silver had played tenor saxophone before deciding to concentrate on piano, and it's easy to hear a tenor-like quality in his lines. Not surprisingly, he was an accompanist in those years to such great tenor players as Getz, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.