Customer Reviews

The Monk Project

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Few jazz artists have had the impact on the music world as the inimitable Thelonious Monk. According to some writers, 'Thelonious Monk (1917 - 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "Epistrophy", "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser" and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second most recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington, which is particularly remarkable as Ellington composed over 1,000 songs while Monk wrote about 70.'

This fine recording is the realized dream of Jimmy Owens who states 'Thelonious Monk is one of the world's premier jazz artists and composers. Many of his compositions provide even the best jazz artists with musical challenges, such as the opportunity to maneuver through difficult chord changes and execute melodies. I chose compositions that people may have heard before: however, when I arranged the pieces I wanted to give them a different feeling than how they have been performed in the past. I also kept in mind the musicians whom I'd chosen for the CD because they each could emote what I wanted projected when I arranged the music. When I first started THE MONK PROJECT, it was important to me to work with musicians who also really understood the blues tradition. Each of the Jazz artists really delivers on this project.'

Well, succeed Owens did! The line up of musicians is as follows: Jimmy Owens, trumpet/flugelhorn, Wycliffe Gordon, trombone, Marcus Strickland, tenor saxophone, Howard Johnson, tuba/baritone/saxophone, Kenny Barron, piano, Kenny Davis, bass, and Winard Harper, drums - and a finer ensemble of knowledgeable musicians would be difficult to find. They offer 10 tracks: Bright Mississippi, Well You Needn't, Blue Monk, Stuffy Turkey, Pannonica, Let's Cool One, It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing, Brilliant Corners, Reflections, and Epistrophy. This is Monk and jazz o the first degree and this album is an all around winner. To be savored for many years. Grady Harp, January 12