"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.
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] In 2004, Silver reported that "Opus de Funk" was one of only three of his compositions that he did not own the rights to.[3]
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).[4] 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.[5]
Later versions
As of 2014, more than 60 versions of the song had been recorded.[6]
^Jenkins Jr., Everett (2001). Pan-African Chronology III. McFarland. p. 472.
^Koransky, Jason (March 2004). "The Songs Are My Life". DownBeat. 71 (3): 32–38.
^Silver, Horace (2006). Let's Get to the Nitty Gritty: The Autobiography of Horace Silver. University of California Press. p. 203. ISBN978-0-520-25392-6.
^"Reviews of New Jazz Records" (June 19, 1954) The Billboard. p. 40.
^McDonough, John (September 2014) "Horace Silver". Down Beat p. 49.
