Monk as Sideman

[ghost of miles]

Planning a Night Lights show about Monk as a sideman, to air in early October. Two queries:

(1) How would you define the '57 album with Blakey? To me it seems like a co-led date (& it's billed that way on the LP cover).

(2) Hawk, Rollins, Davis, Terry--am I missing any other Monk sideman sessions?

Edited August 8, 2007 by ghost of miles

[Swinging Swede]

1) I think I would agree with you. But the Terry album also has "with Thelonious Monk" on the cover, so I'm not absolutely sure.

2) The Bird/Diz session from 1950, and the 1955 session nominally led by Gigi Gryce, although three of four tunes were Monk compositions, making it seem like a Monk date anyway.

[ghost of miles]

Thanks, Swinging Swede--I knew I was blanking on something major (Bird-Diz)... the Gryce probably qualifies as well. Re: the billing, it mostly just sealed the deal in my thinking of the Blakey album as a co-leader date. It's been a # of years since I listened to IN ORBIT, but maybe it sticks in my mind as a sideman date partly because it's not full of Monk tunes.

[Shawn]

There's the Coleman Hawkins session issued on Fantasy's "Bean And The Boys".

Don Byas - Midnight At Mintons

Bag's Groove

[Nate Dorward]

The Blue Note session with Milt Jackson--I think it's often released under Monk's name but Jackson was the leader.

& I believe Monk's on a couple of the Dean Benedetti recordings of Bird.

[brownie]

Does his participation in the Giants of Jazz albums (and tours) from 1971 and 1972 qualify?

[Big Beat Steve]

So I suppose you already included that Dec. 1954 session with Miles Davis where they had that legendary fallout, with Miles telling Monk to "lay it out" during Miles' solos?

Edited August 8, 2007 by Big Beat Steve

[Chuck Nessa]

The Blue Note session with Milt Jackson--I think it's often released under Monk's name but Jackson was the leader.

Incorrect.

[AllenLowe]

was Monk the leader on that? I was unaware of that -

[paul secor]

You might want to include the two sides with vocalist Frankie Passions, "Especially to You"/"Nobody Knows".

[medjuck]

Is it now generally agreed that Monk is not on any of the Mintons/Monroes session on which he is sometimes listed? (Even in a published discography I have.)

Edited August 8, 2007 by medjuck

[Nate Dorward]

The Blue Note session with Milt Jackson--I think it's often released under Monk's name but Jackson was the leader.

Incorrect.

Well, I may be misled by the various repackagings of the material. It's on Jackson's Wizard of the Vibes album (including the vocal tracks which seem to be absent from Genius of Modern Music Vol 2). Is it co-led, or what is it exactly?

Never sounded like Monk to me on the Minton's material I've heard.

[AllenLowe]

I think I disagree - but would have to pull the CDs and listen - I recall things which made me think it was him, but it's been a long time since I listened -

[John L]

On the Minton's recordings: It doesn't sound like Monk on the recordings with Charlie Christian (where Monk is sometimes credited). But it certainly sounds like Monk on many of the Minton's recordings with Don Byas, Hot Lips Page, and others.

Monk as a sideman: There is also a live broadcast of Monk playing in the Dizzy Gillespie big band.

[Fer Urbina]

The Blue Note session with Milt Jackson--I think it's often released under Monk's name but Jackson was the leader.

Incorrect.

Well, I may be misled by the various repackagings of the material. It's on Jackson's Wizard of the Vibes album (including the vocal tracks which seem to be absent from Genius of Modern Music Vol 2). Is it co-led, or what is it exactly?

Never sounded like Monk to me on the Minton's material I've heard.

A previous post on the material with Charlie Christian

He was the house pianist at Minton's and there are a few recordings...

F

[mikeweil]

Monk was the leader on both Blue Note sessions with Milt Jackson. They were just reissued along with Bags' one session as there was no other Blue Note material with Bags as the leader.

I'd say Monk was a sideman on the Clark Terry Riverside date. Same for the Gryce - though Monk is so characteristic that he tends to dominate. But nominally on the first issue, a Gryce date.

The Giants of Jazz were an All-Star group.

The Blakey Atlantic was billed as "Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk" - so I'd say he was a guest star. The way the band plays it sounds more like a Messengers date to me than one of Monk's.

Edited August 8, 2007 by mikeweil

[Nate Dorward]

Re: Minton's -- the ones I know are the ones with Christian, & those are the ones I'm pretty darn sure aren't Monk. No comment on the Don Byas material.

Re: co-led stuff--there was also that failed attempt at a co-led session with Shelly Manne. The two surviving tracks are in the Riverside box, along with Keepnews' inimitable notes blaming the whole mess on Grauer.

[ghost of miles]

Monk as a sideman: There is also a live broadcast of Monk playing in the Dizzy Gillespie big band.

Does he solo at all? I assume you're referring to this date:

1946

Dizzy Gillespie And His Orchestra

Dave Burns, Talib Dawud, Kenny Dorham, John Lynch, Elmon Wright (tp) Dizzy Gillespie (tp, vo) Leon Comegys, Charles Greenlea, Alim Moore (tb) Howard Johnson, Sonny Stitt (as) Ray Abrams, Warren Luckey (ts) Leo Parker (bars) Milt Jackson (vib -8/11) Thelonious Monk (p) Ray Brown (b) Kenny Clarke (d)

"Spotlight Lounge", Washington, DC, May-June, 1946

1. Our Delight Hi-Fly H 01

2. Ray's Idea -

3. Cool Breeze -

4. One Bass Hit -

5. Groovin' High -

6. Second Balcony Jump -

7. unknown title -

8. 'Round About Midnight -

9. Oo-Bup-Sh' Bam -

10. The Man I Love -

11. Things To Come -

* Dizzy Gillespie '46 Live At The Spotlite (Hi-Fly H 01)

Edited August 20, 2007 by ghost of miles

[Chuck Nessa]

Does he solo at all? I assume you're referring to this date:

1946

Dizzy Gillespie And His Orchestra

Dave Burns, Talib Dawud, Kenny Dorham, John Lynch, Elmon Wright (tp) Dizzy Gillespie (tp, vo) Leon Comegys, Charles Greenlea, Alim Moore (tb) Howard Johnson, Sonny Stitt (as) Ray Abrams, Warren Luckey (ts) Leo Parker (bars) Milt Jackson (vib -8/11) Thelonious Monk (p) Ray Brown (b) Kenny Clarke (d)

"Spotlight Lounge", Washington, DC, May-June, 1946

1. Our Delight Hi-Fly H 01

2. Ray's Idea -

3. Cool Breeze -

4. One Bass Hit -

5. Groovin' High -

6. Second Balcony Jump -

7. unknown title -

8. 'Round About Midnight -

9. Oo-Bup-Sh' Bam -

10. The Man I Love -

11. Things To Come -

* Dizzy Gillespie '46 Live At The Spotlite (Hi-Fly H 01)

Not DC. It was NYC.

WTF!

[JSngry]

Not WOR?

[Chuck Nessa]

Not WOR?

No.

[JSngry]

WTF, then?

[ghost of miles]

Chuck, I pulled that info off Mike Fitzgerald's page--or at least what I think is Mike's page:

Monk discography project

I was aware of the Spotlight on 52nd St., just assumed there was another club with same name in D.C. Anyways, not sure if that's Mike's site or not (looking at it again, I'm not sure it is), but I'll contact whoever runs it & advise them of the mistake.

Edited August 21, 2007 by ghost of miles

[Chuck Nessa]

WTF, then?

Either WGN or whatever station Wolfman Jack is on.

[JSngry]

XERF!