Customer Reviews

Monk 'Round The World (Bonus Dvd)

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Hyena Records has done it again. They've plunged their fist into a bucket of gold and come up with, surprise surprise, gold. Seven tracks are taken from various points during Thelonious Monk's travels in the 1960s--these are all variations of the Monk/Rouse quartet. The sound quality is, for the most part, excellent, even better than Hyena's previous collection, "Live at Olympia". And, like that release, a bonus DVD is included of a live performance, this one from London in 1965. Audio and video quality are crisp, and the performance is fantastic. It's the later quartet--Monk, Rouse, Ben Riley and Larry Gales--and they run through "Rhythm-a-ning," "Nutty," and "Criss Cross." Monk (outrageous hat firmly in place) seems a little subdued at first, but quickly picks up energy. Some of the most profound moments appear towards the end of his solos, when Gales the bass player is just getting set to begin his, but Monk stabs out a few more voicings, just to push things along, and there is this great brief moment of interplay between the two of them--where Gales isn't sure when Monk's solo will be through, and doesn't really care because things are swinging so nicely. (If, during these moments, you aren't tapping your foot restlessly, see a doctor.) Rouse blows admirably as always, and Gales....well, Gales never really got the recognition he deserved, but he has the capacity for tremendous bass playing, as witnessed on this DVD, especially on "Nutty." He follows from one of the basic and most often-disregarded principles of jazz improvisation--start with the theme and work your way outwards from it....then you'll always have something to return to. His tall lanky frame seems at odds with the wide heft of the big mama, but he works her so nimbly and expertly, from top of neck to bottom, that he almost steals the show. Remember to catch your breath after his unexpected but perfectly placed shave-and-a-haircut finale to his solo on "Rhythm-a-ning." And another bonus--liner notes courtesy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There is also a wonderful picture of him with Monk taken when Kareem was just a young man....Looking at the expression on Monk's face, one can hear him say, "This one tall muthaf....." Thank you, Joel Zorn, thank you, T.S., thank you, Hyena Records, thank you, Kareem, and thank you, Thelonious.

This is an awesome CD in many aspects: music quality, performance, and sound fidelity. Many jazz CDs sound good, in fact better than most rock CDs (probably because they were recorded out of love rather than money). But this CD is exceptional in it's sound quality. In addition, the included DVD is nice - the DVD sound quality not as good as the CD but the footage is great. Well worth buying.

The CD performances are live in Monterey (Epistrophy), Paris (Blue Monk, Ruby My Dear, and Epistrophy), Copenhagen (Rhythm a Ning), Stockholm (Bemsha Swing), and an unknown European venue)

This is a great cd/dvd showing what Thelonius Monk does best and that is to create great jazz. If you're looking for easy standards, this isn't for you, but if you're looking to widen your listening experience, then you gotta listen to Monk. His music is just great, it challenges and it gives you the unexpected, with lots of dissonance that works just beautifully just love the man

Can anyone tell me if this is new and unreleased material or if this is a compilation? I don't need to duplicate my already extensive Monk collection.
Thank you!