Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk

Andy Summers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 18, 1999)
• Original Release Date: May 18, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00000IOPU
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #151,848 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On this recording, Andy Summers, formerly of the pop group the Police, translates the angular and quirky compositions of jazz pioneer Thelonious Sphere Monk into a wide variety of musical settings. Buoyed by drummers Peter Erskine and Bernie Dresel, electric-acoustic bassist Dave Carpenter, and organist Joey de Francescos, Summers's spare, ghostly guitar--a delicious combination of Jim Hall's timbre and Pat Martino's fluency--swings in a straight-ahead take on the title track, the ballad "Ugly Beauty," and "Monk's Dream"--with Summers's sly "Jeepers Creepers" quote. Erskine lays down a danceable New Orleans second-line beat on "Hackensack," tinged by the tenor sax-trumpet frontline of Steve Tavaglione and Walt Fowler, and "Bemsha Swing" moves to an Afro-Caribbean beat. Summers's country twang imbues the strip tease-tempoed "Brilliant Corners" and "Think of One," which rings with de Francesco's churchy organ solo; "Shuffle Boil" is recast in "Bitches Brew" fashion with Fowler's Milesian musings; and "Light Blue" and "Rhythm-A-Ning" melds Summers's Appalachian banjo with Tavaglione's oblique clarinet in an avant-garde landscape. Summers and company stick to the lullaby melody of "Boo Boo's Birthday," and Summers's intro sets up the moody cabaret-style vocal by fellow Policeman Sting on "'Round Midnight." "Ruby My Dear" highlights the guitarist in a folksy, solo spotlight and closes this well-traveled tribute. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Product Description

ANDY SUMMERS Green Chimneys (Original 1999 US 13-track CD featuring a tribute to the music of jazz legend Thelonius Monk features The Police guitarist recorded in California with a host of the best players in the world among them a vocal contribution from fellow Policeman Sting. Housed in a fold-out digipak picture sleeve)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lot better than I thought, January 17, 2001

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (Audio CD)

I loved The Police but I have to admit I was a little skeptical of Andy Summers tackling Monk since he isn't from a true jazz guitar background. But I have to say that overall he did a pretty good job. The sound reminds me of Bill Frisell and although Summers doesn't really knock me out on his soloing his tonal pallette is pleasant and his style is suitable to Monk's music. If you are new to jazz guitar I would check out guys like Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, and Mark Elf for a more mainstream look at jazz guitar; or something a little more rock-edged also there's John Scofield & Mike Stern & Paul Bollenback.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite smooth jazz, rock, or straight-ahead jazz, January 30, 2004

By 

a superintelligent shade of the color blue (minneapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (Audio CD)

Not a great jazz album, but a good one. Andy Summers doesn't have the melodic brilliance of a more hardcore jazz guitarist (even though it's all he's done for the last several years). What he DOES have is an ear for pleasing pop production and arrangement. The recording and production quality is far more polished than usual for a jazz album, and the arrangements are creative. From a pure production point, it'd be good smooth jazz. But Monk's tunes are too jagged for smooth jazz, the sometimes aggressive arrangements are too rocking for straight-ahead, and the swing too overtly jazzy for the rock fans. So it's an album that fails to please three different markets.

Still, it's a good effort, with particularly nice performances by some of the sidemen (Peter Erskine on drums). But when it gets down to it, if i want Summers i'll put on a Police record, and if i want Monk i'll put on a Monk record. Nobody but nobody tops the master!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'Green Chimneys' -- Andy Summers re-thinks Thelonius Monk, May 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Green Chimneys: The Music of Thelonious Monk (Audio CD)

'Green Chimneys' has a different feel than some of Mr. Summers' other works. I have been a fan of his open, at-times minimalist guitar since his days with the Police. 'Green Chimneys' once again showcases his ability to transcend the ordinary, the hackneyed in popular music and in jazz. This new album goes places where his most recent solo works ('The Last Dance of Mr. X' and 'Synesthesia', also a great albums) do not venture; 'Chimneys' is more straight-ahead jazz, marinated in the flavors of Thelonius Monk and Mr. Summers. Highlighted tracks include "Shuffle Boil" and "'Round Midnight", featuring vocals by Sting. The line-up on this album is superb.

If you enjoy Monk, you'll enjoy this album. If you enjoy Andy Summers, you'll enjoy this album. If you like the Police, you'll like it too. But if you're looking for the Police, realize that what you'll be getting is not the Police, but the product of a musician who only gave us a glimpse of what he was capable of when he played with Stewart Copeland and Sting. He has evolved.

Well done.