CD1
The Unique Thelonious Monk
1. Lisa
2. Memories of You
3. Honeysuckle Rose
4. Darn That Dream
5. Tea For Two
6. You Are Too Beautiful
7. Just You, Just Me
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Oscar Pettiford - Bass
Art Blakey - Drums
The Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall
8. Thelonious
9. Friday The 13th
10. Monk’s Mood
11. Little Rootie Tootie
12. Off Minor
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Donald Byrd - Trumpet
Eddie Bert - Trombone
Phil Woods - Alto sax
Charlie Rouse - Tenor sax
Pepper Adams - Baritone sax
Robert Northern - French horn
Jay McAllister - Tuba
Sam Jones - Bass
Art Taylor - Drums
CD2
The Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall
1. Crepuscule With Nellie
Personnel same as tracks 8-12 CD1
5 By Monk By 5
2. Jackie-ing
3. Straight, No Chaser
4. Played (take 3)
5. I Mean You
6. Ask Me Now
7. Played Twice (take 2)
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Thad Jones - Cornet
Charlie Rouse - Tenor sax
Sam Jones - Bass
Art Taylor - Drums
Newport Jazz Festival 1958
8. Introduction By Willis Conover
9. Just You, Just Me
10. Blue Monk
11. ’Round Midnight
12. Well You Needn’t
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Henry Grimes - Bass
Roy Haynes - Drums
In 2009, Robin Kelley wrote Thelonious Monk: The Life And Times Of An American Legend. For the Prelude to this book Kelley used a quotation from
jazz critic Paul Bacon who penned the following about Monk in 1949: “I have a choice here between writing about Monk as he is, or as he seems to
be, and is generally thought to be. There isn’t any great difficulty about it, because both sides are fertile ground; the stories merely differ in
plausibility.” The Monk we meet here on this Avid Jazz re-issue of some of his recordings for Riverside Records is still relatively early in his career. He
had continued to struggle to be taken seriously, given his eclectic approach to the keyboard, and the unusual structure and time signatures of his
compositions.
The Unique Thelonious Monk
was the second album Monk did for Riverside and it was a continuation of the label’s efforts to use covers of well-known standards in order to broaden his
appeal to the general record-buying public, which had a perception that Monk’s music may have been too complex to be readily understood. That Monk was an
original is a given and his work is superb. Bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Art Blakey were integral to Monk’s efforts on this session, and this is
obvious from the opening track Lisa. Working to make something out of the unlikely musical note progressions initiated by Monk, they feed off each
other for a harmonious result. Surprisingly Monk had an affinity with ballads and on both Darn That Dream and You Are Too Beautiful he
demonstrates his unerring sense of melodic line and poetic expression, but did not lose his command of wide intervals and unlikely note combinations.
Bassist Pettiford is really a rock of steady time-keeping on both numbers as well as showing his soloing dexterity. The session closes withJust You, Just Me, a composition that Monk returned to on a regular basis, perhaps because it was loosely used by him as the basis for his tune Evidence. It is also included on CD2. In any event, he is at his sprightly best showcasing the use of discordant chords and angular rhythms.
The Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall
begins an excursion of Monk’s compositions that cover the balance of this disc, and all of CD2 save for the previously mentioned Just You, Just Me. Monk was a prodigious composer and one of the true originals of jazz. His music was seamlessly integrated, filled with harmonic
progressions, melody and rhythm that are intertwined into the structure of swing. This album is Monk’s first with a large group (a tentet) and is only one
of two such recordings, the other in 1963 at Philharmonic Hall. Bolstered by arrangements from Hal Overton, Monk’s compositions come to life with all the
textural qualities they inherently have, starting with the opening composition Thelonious. Here Monk’s piano leads the way with all his quirkiness
on display, interspersed with thick ensemble passages. The longest track is Monk’s Mood which is sometimes known as Why Don’t You Face The Facts. Overton’s arrangement brings together the multi-faceted harmonies that are integral to Monk’s
compositions, and instrument combinations that develop the theme throughout the length of the piece. There are brief, but interesting solos from trombonist
Eddie Bert and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse. Off Minor is another one of those Monk compositions that has found favour with other jazz artists
who are intrigued both by its difficulty and fun-to-play style. The framework is such that soloists can use it to work out their own ideas, and both tenor
saxist Charlie Rouse and trumpeter Donald Byrd take full advantage of this feature.
5 By Monk By 5
would be the maestro’s penultimate recording for Riverside and it features a bebop-style quintet with a front line of a trumpet (a cornet in fact) and a
tenor saxophonist. A majority of the compositions are readily identifiable Monk originals with the exception of Jackie-ing which is one of the new
tunes introduced here, and named after one of Monk’s nieces. As usual it is filled with the peculiarities and difficulty associated with the composer’s
work; but it does give tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse some space to expand his ideas. All the while Monk delivers piano interjections filled with
discordant notes and chords. The other new composition is Played Twice which is offered in two alternate takes, both of which are complex and
dissonant interpretations, with little of the underlying Monk lyricism or humour. As for the other Monkian entries, Ask Me Now is the longest and
most intricate track, with voicings that are integrated, and ingredients that produce a harmonious result.
Newport Jazz Festival 1958
has Monk back in familiar territory in a trio setting with two sympathetic supporters in bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Roy Haynes. As he runs through a
set of four of his pieces, he demonstrates the joyousness and swing associated not only with his music, but also his playing. The logic and beauty are
readily evident, and offer the structure on which he builds his improvisations. Both Blue Monk and ‘Round Midnight are
now staples of any jazz repertoire, and Monk’s own interpretations are the essence of his elegant and economical piano style.
The final word is given to Monk: ”I say play your own way. Don’t play what the public wants. You play what you want and let the public pick up on what
you’re doing even if it takes them fifteen, twenty years.”
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
Avid AMSC 1130
