[the Weekend spin] … with Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk -][- Mulligan Meets Monk

Tags

Gerry Mulligan, Jazz, Thelonious Monk

... the weekend spin

Greeting’s jazz lovers, I’ve been invited to step outside of my normal listening space by music enthusiast Cal Vicks from Omaha. With that said, as recommended I’m going to spend some time this weekend with a unique collaboration featuring two gentlemen of prominent voices in jazz baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and creative improvisational genius of Thelonious Monk on piano! Have a safe and prosperous weekend, Rob Young | The Urban Flux

Gerry Mulligan - Mulligan Meets Monk

Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk -][- Mulligan Meets Monk – [ESSENTIAL JAZZ CLASS, 1957] – Reissue

Critics thought the pairing of Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk a strange one when this 1957 session was originally released, Mulligan’s light baritone saxophone strongly identified with the cool school and Monk’s percussive piano, fractured rhythms, and dissonant tunes the last word in bop. It’s an interesting combination, though, with Mulligan’s melodic focus actually working fairly well with Monk and his regular band, drummer Shadow Wilson and bassist Wilbur Ware. Common roots in swing are apparent on Mulligan’s “Decidedly,” a variant of “Undecided,” while the baritonist acquits himself well on some of Monk’s best-known tunes.

Monk was at his peak as a player in 1957–working steadily for the first time in years in a long tenure at the Five Spot–and it shows everywhere here, including the splashing chords and asymmetrical runs of “Sweet and Lovely.” Ware, one of the most significant bassists in jazz history, is a perfect accompanist and as commanding a soloist as Mulligan or Monk, using subtle rhythmic shifts and double stops in an almost minimalist way. The alternate takes of several tunes are genuinely different approaches to the material, revealing just how spontaneous the meeting was. —Stuart Broomer | Amazon.com

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

[Classic Jazz Revisited] … featuring – ‘Straight No Chaser’ – by pianist Thelonious Monk

Tags

African American, Jazz, Thelonious Monk

Flux Classic Jazz Revisited

Without hesitation, some jazz enthusiasts will argue how the genius of pianist Thelonious Monk surpasses understanding for the average novice. That’s until his sixth solo album “Straight No Chaser,” arrived in 1967 to reshape the perception of how post-modern jazz is listen too. —Rob Young / The Urban Flux

Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser

Thelonious Monk -][- Straight No Chaser – [Columbia, 1967]

This cd release is a showcase for Monk’s last great group from the late 60’s. Monk’s piano is backed by the painfully underrated Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. Monk’s soloing is inspired and creative throughout. He swings hard on the title track, as well as the little know gem that opens the album, Locomotion. Of the two solo pieces, This is My Story, This is My Song stands out as a sweet soulful display of Monk’s unique touch and harmonic sense.

Charlie Rouse’s warm round tenor remains with Coltrane, and Johnny Griffin as Monk’s most complimentary soloists. His robust tone on the title track and Locomotion is countered by his sensitive interpretations of I didn’t Know About You and Japanese Folk Song (Kojo No Tsuki). More beneficial to the listener than the standard “bonus tracks” are the restored bass and drum solos. Riley is a propulsive soloist, his bursting fills complimenting Monk’s chording perfectly. Riley explores his instrument’s range fully as a soloist and as an accompanist, developing consistently interesting solos.

The musicians are completely comfortable with the material, and each performance is definitive, easily rewarding repeated listening. The music benefits from superior recording quality as well, it sounds warm and full even on my $20 computer speakers! This is the first jazz cd I ever purchased, and remains a personal favorite. It not only is a perfect introduction to Monk and Jazz, but will reward and delight long time fans of the man and the music. Highly Recommend!

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

New Music [Jazz] for the Week of 3/30/2010

Tags

Christian Scott, Jazz, Thelonious Monk, Tomasz Stanko

Greetings once again my fellow jazz enthusiasts … as you know it’s almost unbelievable but March is just about done, over, I mean …. finished! Today, I’ve conjured up another appetizing mix of noteworthy jazz recordings! On the menu this week is the featured album of the week by New Orleans native/trumpeter Christian Scott and his fourth offering on Concord Jazz titled “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow.” Also out of the box, we have ECM recording artist Tomasz Stanko, vocalist Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Chris Standring & Steve Oliver [separate titles] vocalist Stacey Kent and a host of others.

Featured Album of the Week

Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Christian Scott .:|:. Yesterday You Said Tomorrow – [Concord Jazz, 2010]

When trumpeter Christian Scott was growing up in New Orleans in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, his grandfather gave him and his brother Kiel extra reading assignments each week as a supplement to their assigned schoolwork. If the young students failed to finish their books within the week, their grandfather would say, “Yesterday you said tomorrow...” It was the older man’s way of emphasizing the importance of recognizing the work at hand, and making the most of the available time to complete it.

Visit, http://www.christianscott.net/ for more details about this transcending talent!

CONCORD UNVEILS ORIGINAL JAZZ CLASSICS REMASTERS SERIES

Tags

Art Pepper, Dave Brubeck, Jazz, Joe Pass, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk

24-BIT REMASTERING BRINGS NEW CLARITY AND DEPTH TO CLASSIC RECORDINGS

FIRST FIVE TITLES SET FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 30, 2010

In the tradition of its highly lauded Rudy Van Gelder Remasters Series of classic Prestige recordings, Concord Music Group has dug into the vaults once again to create a new series of jazz reissues. The Original Jazz Classics Remasters series, scheduled for launch on March 30, showcases some of the most pivotal recordings of the past several decades by artists whose influence on the jazz tradition is beyond measure.

The first five titles in the series are:

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Jazz at Oberlin
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
Sonny Rollins: Way Out West
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane
Joe Pass: Virtuoso

An extension of the popular Original Jazz Classics series (est. 1982), the new OJC Remasters releases reveal the sonic benefits of 24-bit remastering-a technology that didn’t exist when these titles were originally issued on compact disc. The addition of newly-written liner notes further enhances the illuminating quality of the OJC Remasters reissues. “Each of the recordings in this series is an all-time jazz classic,” says Nick Phillips, Vice President of Jazz and Catalog A&R at Concord Music Group and producer of the series. “With these reissues, we get a fresh look and a new perspective on these artists and some of their most important work-not only from the meticulous 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, but also from the insights we glean from the new liner notes that have been written for each title in the series.”

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP PRESENTS

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African American, Bebop, Concord Jazz, Jazz, Kenny Dorham, PRESTIGE RECORDS, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP PRESENTS
ITS 13th EDITION OF CLASSIC PRESTIGE RECORDS RVG REMASTERS
ON SEPTEMBER 8th

TITLES INCLUDE REMASTERED CDS
BY LEGENDARY ENGINEER RUDY VAN GELDER:
THELONIOUS MONK QUINTET: MONK (1953)
SONNY ROLLINS WITH THELONIOUS MONK AND KENNY DORHAM: MOVING OUT (1954)
RED GARLAND QUINTET WITH JOHN COLTRANE: DIG IT! (1957)

On September 8th, the Concord Music Group will release the next installment of the popular Rudy Van Gelder Remasters Series of classic Prestige albums. This 13th edition of the RVG series includes three more classics that engineer Rudy Van Gelder originally recorded in the 1950s and recently upgraded to 21st century standards of digital audio. The new remasters bring the total number of releases in the series to more than 60.

Originally recorded under the supervision of Prestige owner and founder Bob Weinstock, each of the three remasters is a fascinating slice of jazz history – a vivid portrait of ambitious and innovative young artists in their formative years, all of whom have since become iconic figures in the annals of American jazz: