Customer Reviews

Big Band & Quartet in Concert

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the late 1950s Monk made his first big-band disc, a live concert recorded at Town Hall. The charts were by Hall Overton; the featured soloists aside from Monk were Charlie Rouse (one of his earliest appearances with Monk), Phil Woods & Donald Byrd. More or less the same format is adhered to with Monk's second big-band date, recorded in Dec. 1963 at Lincoln Center: the Overton charts include one piece with an arrangement of a previously recorded Monk solo (on the Town Hall date it was "Little Rootie Tootie"; here it's "Four in One", the solo lifted from the Blackhawk album on Riverside); Rouse & Woods are present again, with Thad Jones on cornet the other main soloist. The original album was chopped down a bit, omitting several tracks & editing out some of the drum solos; it's restored here, & while one might regret the inclusion of all those drum solos it's inarguably an improvement to have the unreleased tracks.

In some ways the best stuff on the album isn't the big band but the quartet & solo tracks that serve as an interlude: "When It's Darkness on the Delta" is one of Monk's best solo performances, & "Misterioso" is superb. The program is mostly less-frequently encountered Monk tunes like "Light Blue", "Four in One" & "Played Twice", which makes a nice change of pace from Monk's run of Columbias (where the repertoire ended up rather heavy on warhorses like "Blue Monk" & "Ruby My Dear"). -- There is even one new tune, "Oska T.": no-one will ever claim this as one of Monk's greatest compositions--it's little more than two riffs soldered together with a typically Monkian sense of humour (they barely fit together!). It's still a fascinating track, with Thad Jones's solo almost completely setting aside the chords. Woods & Rouse are as usual hard-hitting though a bit predictable in their improvising strategies--though Rouse by now was so attuned to Monk's music that his displacements of the beat can be as bewildering as the master's--and Frankie Dunlop's scrappy drumming is a pleasure to hear. (Whatever happened to Frankie Dunlop?) The one real disappointment is the same as on the Town Hall concert: it's a great band, & yet most of the players aren't allotted a solo. Could it have hurt to give Steve Lacy, Eddie Bert or Nick Travis a solo?

Monk only recorded twice again as part of a larger group (the Nonet disc from Europe & the very late, & rather disappointing, encounter with Oliver Nelson). That makes this an especially valuable recording.

If I had to pick recordings for a stay on a desert island, this would be one of them. All of the tunes are great, and the CD provides recordings left out and edited down from the album, which I played many, many times. I'll just mention a couple of the cuts here.

"I Mean You" is absolutely fabulous. Frankie Dunlap replies in his solo to what the others had done, and the soloists (Jones, Woods, and, ahem, oh well, Rouse) seemd to be on the same frequency. This tune really rocks.

I don't know why this album isn't looked upon with such favor by many people. It is great. And for those who question Monk's skill as a pianist, sit back and take in his solo interpretation of "Darkness on the Delta."

Overton's arrangements are great. It's just too bad more of these recordings weren't made.

This is, all in all, remarkably demanding music that for all its complexity swings the house down. I can only echo the praise other reviewers have heaped upon this extraordinary concert. As good as all the soloists are, Monk simply defines himself in a separate class, an orchestra unto himself. "Four In One," with its scoring of Monk's recorded solo, is the premier track, but one cannot overlook "Evidence" --one of the most remarkable minimalist compositions of modern music in any idiom-- which thrives from Monk's conclusion of his solo with the rhythmic riff picked up by the entire band. And who but Monk could resurrect "Darkness on the Delta," a song not recorded for thirty years at the time of this concert?

I can't believe this double disc for six bucks. This is incredible music and I bet I paid over 20 when it first came out as a double. Like others here I had the original LP and was excited for the additions. I was listening to this this morning while I stained my deck. The discs may be a little short on time by modern standards but that's all there was. This is the Monk big band set for me.

This one's 5 Stars all the way--sophisticated music played with elegance and precision. Monk's piano sounds childlike at times, but there's nothing simple about these compositions. And the recording is excellent. The nearly 2 hours fly by without a second of boredom.

If you're new to Monk, this is actually a great place to start. And then check out some of the classic Riverside stuff.

As far as I can perceive, Monk had only 3 big band encounters and at least two were successful but the one with Oliver Nelson, a dud unfortunately, which leaves one to consider which is the best, the Riverside or this Columbia re-release. The first session has Pepper Adams but is not as well recorded as the Columbia which includes Steve Lacy though his solo which was present on vinyl is cut here. Nevertheless, if you're a Monk fan, this recording is still recommended since Monk also included 2 new compositions and also songs that were not on the original issue. Hall Overton was the perfect arranger for these 2 sessions.

Hall Overton's orchestral arrangements of Monk are quite simple and wonderful, actually. The orchestra, aside from helping introduce the theme of a tune, adds voicings during the other men's solos that resemble what Monk might be doing on piano in a smaller-group setting. This adds a nice extra layer to the music. My complaint is with Thad Jones, who plays the cornet with the band. I will side with Miles Davis who said that trumpet players simply didn't sound very good behind Monk (though he took it a step further and included just about all horn players). Jones, who is a fine trumpet player, who was a staple with that splendid Count Basie orchestra, simply cannot keep up during this performance. It's not that he doesn't have a melodic grasp of the music, but that he doesn't seem to have the physical chops to pull off a good solo. He always seems to be a step behind, and this comes through quite clearly in his tone, which lacks confidence and punch, and which is in the end, I'm sorry to say, rather wimpy. Though he does have a few good moments, the soloists who really shine are Charlie Rouse on the tenor and Phil Woods on the alto. Woods--who is essentially Paul Desmond with a lot more soul--plays great, adding his own originality and fire to Monk's music, and sounding at times like Cannonball Adderley. And Monk, wonderful singular poet that he is, holds down the keys admirably as always. My favorites are "I Mean You", "Bye-ya", and "Light Blue."

The funky Monk kickin' it live with a full-blown orchestra howlin' like a level 4 hurricane . . . johnny griffin, frankie dunlop, charlie rouse, phil woods (amongst others) and arrangements courtesy hall overton make the most of an unlikely situation: if there is any jazz artist who would seem least suited to the big band treatment, it would be one Thelonious Sphere Monk, a cat as independently eccentric and enigmatic as his outta-this-world name. Definitely a change-up from the man previously noted for the very personal nature of his trio and quartet recordings.

The band mows through Monk staples Epistrophy, Evidence & Four in One like Monk was born a multi-headed monster. Everyone's on the same page and playing like their lives depend on it. Monk's Columbia output often gets short-shrift next to his more celebrated Blue Note, Prestige & Riverside recordings, but like the 70's Black Lion recordings, these late-era Columbia sides are 'da Bomb. The sound quality, you ask? Well, let's just say I had to keep checking my rear-view mirror to make sure Monk & the Gang weren't in my back seat. Truth is, all of Monk's Columbia releases are top-notch in sound and quality. Makes me wonder when there will be a "Complete Monk on Columbia" box.

'Til then, check out the Big Band and Quartet in Concert - and Monk's other Columbia releases. You'll be doin' yourself a real solid, I can promise you that . . .

What a delicious irony: it turns out that one of my favorite Monk albums of all time, Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Monk, is a compilation of five big band tracks from this highly praised session, beautifully arranged by Hall Overton, and the first nine tracks from the much maligned album Monk's Blues, much of which was arranged by Oliver Nelson. Yet to my ear, Monk's playing is deft and satisfying on both recordings.

This album includes what is probably my favorite version of I Mean You, a swinging rendition that always makes me want to move. Next to this big band performance, Monk's solo, trio and quartet takes of the tune sound too thin. Two less familiar Monk tunes, Oska T. and Four In One, get a fun treatment here, and the band's playing is sharp, tight and snappy throughout the album. What an enjoyable gig!

Get your headphones out for this one. Better still, get it in vinyl and sit back for a satisfying listen. *Even* better than that, get Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Monk on vinyl and listen to all those big band tracks at once. Add the Town Hall big band concert, and you've got a complete set of Monk with big band. You won't be sorry.

This Double set is a must have.Monk is Playing Great here.This is very Essential to Any Jazz Collection.Four in one is the Jam.The Music&Arrangements are Incredible.The Musicians Here are Slamming.