The first time I heard a memorable, forceful melody by Horace Silver, I was surprised to learn its title was "Song For My Father." Out of context, I thought the instrumental would be called something like "Take Charge" or "Dance For The Uninhibited."
Hearing Gregory Porter sing lyrics on a Louis Hayes cover version decades later made the title finally click for me.
Sometimes, instrumentals aren't so different from abstract paintings. Before you hear a concrete interpretation of an artist's work, it's easy to project your own meaning onto it.
