The Monkastery

Brian · May 31, 2015, 10:29:40 AM

Talk Monk!

Right now I have Live at the It Club, Live at the Jazz Workshop, and Live in Tokyo on my shopping list. What should I expect? Anybody got more favorite live Monk dates?

NJ Joe · May 31, 2015, 04:08:38 PM

With Live At The It Club, you can expect a consistently excellent set from Monk's classic quartet (Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, Ben Riley), with excellent sound.

My favorite live Monk disc.

I don't own the other two, but this is another favorite:

San Antone · May 31, 2015, 04:21:04 PM

Although Monk is more known for his Riverside and then Columbia recordings, the earlier Blue Note sessions should not be over looked, and in fact are considered the recordings to have by many.

There is a complete 4-CD box

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But the recent singles set (two discs) collects the great songs and leaves out the alternate takes and one-off tunes, but presents the best sessions in better sound.

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Artem · May 31, 2015, 05:26:36 PM

The 2 volumes of Genius of Modern Music are my favorite Monk's CDs.

Dancing Divertimentian · May 31, 2015, 06:40:07 PM

Quote from: Brian on May 31, 2015, 10:29:40 AM
Right now I have Live at the It Club, Live at the Jazz Workshop, and Live in Tokyo on my shopping list. What should I expect? Anybody got more favorite live Monk dates?

I agree with the others, the It Club is a great live set. I don't always get along with Rouse but here he's a plus.

The Blue Note box is also great but I admit to enjoying the better sound on the Riversides. So they get played more.

Monk's trio date on Prestige is absolutely suburb. Inspired from first to last.

And don't overlook Monk's solo dates. He's always "on" even working alone.

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Brian · May 31, 2015, 06:58:06 PM

Thelonious Alone in San Francisco has opened up to me slowly, like a fine but fussy wine. At first I was let down by the lack of excitement from just being one player, but as time has gone on, I've fallen more and more in love with it. His solos really do demonstrate his genius for composition and performance, both, at purest form.

Also, I love Alone in San Francisco because it's fascinating to compare his solo "Everything Happens to Me" to the live '71 (?) version with Sonny Stitt, which is just burn-down-the-house awesome but mostly because Stitt plays like a man jumping hurdles while on fire.

Here's one of my favorite Monk tracks of all, right up there with his "Ruby, My Dear" duet with Coleman Hawkins (and no doubt 5 more things I can't remember right now):

http://www.youtube.com/v/O7D3TGk2rhw

Don, wishlisted that trio album. Glad I'm not the only one who has reservations about Charlie Rouse.

sanantonio and Joe: I need the complete Riverside box, don't I?

Brian · May 31, 2015, 07:03:53 PM

Quote from: Brian on May 31, 2015, 06:58:06 PM
Also, I love Alone in San Francisco because it's fascinating to compare his solo "Everything Happens to Me" to the live '71 (?) version with Sonny Stitt, which is just burn-down-the-house awesome but mostly because Stitt plays like a man jumping hurdles while on fire.

For those who need this in their lives:

http://www.youtube.com/v/Dc7ha6Xumiw

EDIT: Actually I do not have the YouTube version! What I have is the London date from the same tour:

[asin]B000DZIGGW[/asin]

Dancing Divertimentian · May 31, 2015, 09:18:36 PM

Those are some great videos, Brian. Wonderful listening.

Karl Henning · June 01, 2015, 03:54:18 AM

Quote from: Dancing Divertimentian on May 31, 2015, 06:40:07 PM
And don't overlook Monk's solo dates. He's always "on" even working alone.

What do you mean, even?

I was going to say that I did not know of It Club album . . . yet it was already on my Wish List . . . .

Mirror Image · June 01, 2015, 07:28:32 AM

The Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside recordings are where it's at for me. I wish Monk would have changed up the saxophonist more frequently in his Columbia years. Rouse just bores me after awhile.

Dancing Divertimentian · June 01, 2015, 08:19:14 AM

Quote from: karlhenning on June 01, 2015, 03:54:18 AM
What do you mean, even?

Just that solo Monk is just as much Monk as Monk in larger format. In case there's any confusion...

Karl Henning · June 01, 2015, 08:33:10 AM

All Monk, both great and small . . . .

San Antone · June 01, 2015, 08:39:44 AM

Quote from: Brian on May 31, 2015, 06:58:06 PM
sanantonio and Joe: I need the complete Riverside box, don't I?

There is a new box of all the Riverside albums (not the same as the original Complete Riverside, this one has 123 tracks as opposed to the 158 in the latter) but I think this would be the way to go, since it has all the recordings and it that is priced very reasonably from third party sellers:

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I am not a fan of some of these complete sets with every alternate take, etc., and generally prefer to hear the albums as they were released, with a smattering of alternate material, but YMMV.

Actually in reading more about it, you might be better off with the original Riverside Complete, which is back in print.

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Brian · June 02, 2015, 06:59:37 PM

The original Riverside is back in print?!?!? Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

Just listened to Underground. Love the cover, and love the entire B side, but the highlight for me is definitely "Ugly Beauty" - the softest, tenderest playing I've ever heard from Charlie Rouse.

Dancing Divertimentian · June 02, 2015, 08:06:11 PM

Quote from: Brian on June 02, 2015, 06:59:37 PM
The original Riverside is back in print?!?!? Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

That's excellent news but there's just one potential catch: the original issue of that Complete Riverside box did not have the benefit of the newer 2000's remastering. The difference in sound is significant enough that I much prefer the newer remasterings.

The one older issue I still have without the newer remastering (Brilliant Corners) sits like a forgotten stepchild on my shelf (but I have it elsewhere in updated sound).

Anyway, don't know if this matters to anybody but I thought I'd at least mention it.

Any word if this new Riverside box has been newly remastered?

Brian · February 01, 2016, 11:50:35 AM

BUMP

French graphic novelist Youssef Daoudi is working on a graphic novel about Monk and Pannonica (the person, not the song).

http://www.avclub.com/article/exclusive-first-second-announcement-youssef-daoudi-231552

king ubu · February 03, 2016, 12:37:22 AM

Quote from: sanantonio on June 01, 2015, 08:39:44 AM
There is a new box of all the Riverside albums (not the same as the original Complete Riverside, this one has 123 tracks as opposed to the 158 in the latter) but I think this would be the way to go, since it has all the recordings and it that is priced very reasonably from third party sellers:

[asin]B003V1ARGC[/asin]

I am not a fan of some of these complete sets with every alternate take, etc., and generally prefer to hear the albums as they were released, with a smattering of alternate material, but YMMV.

Actually in reading more about it, you might be better off with the original Riverside Complete, which is back in print.

[asin]B00UW4GAWG[/asin]

The latter is a scaled down reprint, just as they did it for Coltrane's and Miles' Prestige sets and also for Bill Evans' Fantasy set - these contain full booklets with extended comments and all, whilst the Universal Italian album boxes (All Monk, All Miles, Coltrane Prestige Leader, Rollins Prestige etc) likely contain just minimal documentation - and miss out any tracks that were only released in the complete boxes. So yeah, definitley go for the complete box, not the all that should rather be called "most"

To me, I want ALL Monk indeed ... regarding Blue Note, the four disc set is essential as it has the set with Coltrane in correct speed and with correct date and line-up. The single disc edition ("Disovery") ran at wrong speed and pretend it to from the 1957 gig with Wilbur Ware and Shadow Wilson, while more likely it's from a 1958 date where Coltrane subbed for Johnny Griffin, and the rhythm section is Ahmed Abdul-Malik and Roy Haynes).

However, for the Blue Note studio sessions, you'll need to get the RVG Remasters (Vols. 1 & 2 and Milt Jackson's "Wizard of the Vibes" which contains the Bags & Monk session that's totally essential). They sound so much better than the box!

The Prestige material is often somewhat neglected, but most of it is very good indeed. The three disc set has very good sound (K2 remastering, whatever that means) and a nice booklet.

The Riverside material is mostly essential and the rest of it very good as well, I find. Only the two live albums at the very end, or rather one of 'em (but don't ask me which, it's been a while since I played them) aren't that great. They were done to fulfill the contract, I think.

On Columbia, the best of the albums are still terrific, "Monk's Dream" for one, and "Criss Cross", with the amazing Frankie Dunlop on drums (he's also on the live recording from Tokyo). What's a discgrace is that there hasn't ever been a properly remastered reissue of "Big Band and Quartet in Concert", as that one's pretty darn great, too, if only for the big band sides! You'll have to revert to shady releases or torrents if you want to hear more of Monk's larger ensembles - worth it!

Regarding Rouse, I think he was perfect in riding that Monk groove. He's not as imaginative a soloist as Coltrane or Rollins, nor as flashy and catchy as Johnny Griffin (whose playing I dearly love!), but somehow he was still a perfect fit.

Oh, and by any account, don't forget the Carnegie Hall 1957 recording, released by Blue Note on CD and by Mosaic on LP - that actually features that 1957 band with Coltrane, Ware and Wilson and it's an amazing find and testament to how perfectly Coltrane understood Monk's music (and what immense progress Coltrane made during his tenure with Monk).

escher · February 19, 2016, 01:35:37 AM

I think this album deserves to be mentioned. Obviously there are a lot of great and interesting interpretations of his work, but I don't know if someone else before Carmen McRae attempted to add lyrics and use those instrumental pieces as songs. Ruby my dear (Dear Ruby) in particular is an absolute classic.

king ubu · February 21, 2016, 11:50:40 PM

Bernie Hanighen has added lyrics to 'Round Midnight quite early on:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Hanighen

But I agree, the McRae album is great!

Yet in general I'm really not too much into Monk tributes, they rarely add much to and never better the original, no matter how enjoyable they might be.

escher · February 28, 2016, 10:47:20 AM

Quote from: king ubu on February 21, 2016, 11:50:40 PM
Bernie Hanighen has added lyrics to 'Round Midnight quite early on:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Hanighen

But I agree, the McRae album is great!

Yet in general I'm really not too much into Monk tributes, they rarely add much to and never better the original, no matter how enjoyable they might be.

I'm not sure if I would agree, considering also how much his work has been played... after Ellington is the second most covered jazz composer.
For instance I should think about it but I remember Steve Lacy doing a great job with his tunes.

The Monkastery

Mirror Image