Calcutta Cutie

Junior Cook (tenor sax), Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Horace Silver (piano), Gene Taylor (bass) and Roy Brooks (drums). From the album Song for My Father (1965).

Calcutta is the capital of the Indian state of West Benga, with a population of four and a half million inhabitants, and is located on the banks of the Hooghly River. It’s the most important commercial, educational and cultural center in East India. The city has been inhabited for over two thousand years and consists of three villages: Kalikata, Gobindapur and Sutanuti.

In the mid-19th century, economic development began with the arrival of the textile industry, which encouraged British companies to invest in infrastructure. Calcutta had been the capital of India since 1772, but by the end of the 19th century the nationalism and desire for independence began strongly in this city, so the British decided to move the capital to New Delhi in 1911.

The introduction consists of two notes that are repeated until Silver enters with an oriental flavor melody while a gong sounds. The theme starts with the participation of the entire group. Silver begins his solo by imitating Indian music, but suddenly walking appears and the piece changes completely until the Indian rhythm returns. Silver defends himself equally well in both environments, which are alternating, and even allows himself the luxury of adding blues elements. The music is relaxing and invites reflection. After that, Brooks intervenes with a drum giving way to the re-exposure of the theme.