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Thelonious Monk: With John Coltrane 1957 Revisited
by Chris May
Once again, the ezz-thetics label has taken some of the finest artefacts of mid-twentieth-century US jazz and sonically restored them, bringing an unprecedented level of clarity, precision and presence. It is no exaggeration to say that the Swiss-based label's work can be compared with the restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during the 1980s, both in terms of the quality of the original material and the artistry with which the renovation has been executed. The ...
read moreThelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners
by Richard J Salvucci
Writing about being “lost for words" is not the ideal way of starting a review, but it may be the plain truth. Perhaps Thelonious Monk is an acquired taste. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, this particular release of Brilliant Corners is just that--brilliant.The whole package is superb and really defines Craft Recordings “Small Batch" vinyl series. The technical literature accompanying the recording says “Each edition is cut from its original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on ...
read moreMonk Impressions: Frank Kimbrough to Miho Hazama + some Brötzmann
by David Brown
It's time for the Jazz Continuum here on G-Town Radio. This week, some father and son work from the O'Farrill family, a remembrance of German Free Improv saxophonist Peter Brötzmann who recently passed, and a whole lotta Monk as interpreted by a variety of artists from Frank Kimbrough to Miho Hazama. And of course, new releases, recent acquisitions and gems from the archives. Playlist Thelonious Monk “Esistrophy (Theme)" from Live at the It Club-Complete (Columbia) 00:30 Vince Ector ...
read moreApril Songs -Soulful Singles - Lesser known '50s players!
by David Brown
This week on the Jazz Continuum, a set of April themed tunes from Sarah Vaughn to Anthony Braxton, soulful singles from Sugar Pie DeSanto to Irma Thomas, plus a swinging' set of lesser-known jazz men from the '50s and more. Playlist Thelonious Monk “Esistrophy (Theme)" from Live at the It Club-Complete (Columbia) 01:00 Charlie Parker With Strings “April In Paris" from Charlie Parker With Stings (Bluebird/Legacy) 01:30 Thad Jones “I Remember Paris" from Thad Jones (Debut) 05:23 Eric ...
read moreConcert Promoter Danny Scher
by Lawrence Peryer
In this episode...Spotlight On host Lawrence Peryer chats with long time concert promoter, Danny Scher. Danny had an illustrious career working with legendary concert promoter, Bill Graham but as a younger man, at the start of his career, booked Duke Ellington and Vince Guaraldi. As a high school student in Palo Alto, CA, Danny Scher came up with the idea to book Thelonious Monk to play his school's auditorium. A recording of that special concert finally saw the light of ...
read moreThelonious Monk Quartet: Live Five Spot 1958 Revisited
by Chris May
What are the first two names that come to mind on reading the phrase 'Thelonious Monk's saxophonist'? Chances are they will be John Coltrane or Charlie Rouse. The runner-up could be Sonny Rollins and somewhere further down the field might be Johnny Griffin. Griffin deserves to move up the list. The hard blowing, express velocity, R&B-schooled tenor player starting gigging with Monk in 1948. In 1955, he was the Monk quartet's saxophonist during a one-week residency in ...
read moreSolo Monk: A Poem By Steve Kowit
by AAJ Staff
One day back in the '60s, Monk was sitting at the piano, Charlie Mingus pulling at his coat how Monk should put the word in so the Mingus group could play the Five Spot, seeing as how Monk's already legendary gig down there was ending--Mingus all persuasion & cajolery, ran it down for twenty minutes till he capped it with the comment: ..."Dig it, Thelonious, you know we Black Brothers ...GOT to ...
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