Thelonious Monk session question

[ghost of miles]

Hello fellow jazz proles,

I'm doing some research for a radio program on jazz and postwar French cinema. One of the soundtracks I'm featuring is from LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (1960), which was recorded by Art Blakey. According to the liner notes, however, the music used in the film itself was recorded in New York by Thelonious Monk, in a session made after Monk's Paris trip was canceled. The NY session, supervised by Marcel Romano, included Monk on piano, Sam Jones on bass, Art Taylor on drums, and Charlie Rouse and Barney Wilen on tenor saxophones. Romano says that this music was used in the movie but never released on record. True?

[jazzbo]

Wow, that's interesting. . . I haven't ever seen this on record, so my guess is yes, it's true that if it were recorded it has not been released. . . but. . .I have my doubts that this was the recording lineup of the music used in the film. . . .

[brownie]

Yes, the Monk music is really the movie background music. You hear Monk

much more than the Art Blakey music that was released on the soundtrack

album. The Monk music (played by Rouse, Sam Jones and Art Taylor but not

Barney Wilen) has never released on record. Monk was with

Riverside at the time and the music was recorded without the label's approval

(and probably knowledge).

Understand Marcel Romano had a tape of the music.

[paul secor]

I've never seen the film. All I can add is a mention in David Meeker's Jazz in the Movies:

"Music score credited to Jack Marray (pseud).

Underscore consists of Thelonious Monk themes specially recorded in New York by Monk, pno; Charlie Rouse, ten sax; Sam Jones, bass; Art Taylor, drs: 'Crepescule with Nellie', 'Ba-lue bolivar ba-lues-are', 'Rhythm-a-ning', 'Well you needn't', 'Light blue', 'Pannonica' and one other.

Source music for both the nightclub and party sequences composed for the movie by Duke Jordan and played by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Lee Morgan,tpt; Barney Wilen, ten sax, sop sax; Bobby Timmons and Duke Jordan, pno; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art blakey, drs: 'No problem', 'Prelude in blue', 'Miguel's party', and 'Valmontana'. During the party sequence, the performers on camera (unsynchronised) are Kenny Dorham, tpt; Barney Wilen, ten sax; Duke Jordan, pno; Paul Rovere, bass; Kenny Clarke, drs."

Edited April 11, 2003 by paul secor

[paul secor]

A non-Monk addition.

In 1962, Duke Jordan recored an album entitled Music of the Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture Les Liasons Dangereuses - Composed and Conducted by Duke Jordan.

Duke Jordan, piano; Charlie Rouse, tenor sax; Sonny Cohn, trumpet; Art Taylor, drums; Eddie Kahn, bass.

No Problem #1; No Problem #2; No Problem #3; Jazz Vendor; Subway Inn; The Feeling of Love #1; The Feeling of Love #2. New York, January 12, 1962. Charlie Parker PLP 813.

My copy is a Japanese reissue with notes in Japanese which I can't read. Perhaps someone here has a U.S. Charlie Parker Records issue with liner notes in English and can add more. (Or perhaps someone here can read Japanese, and can read the reissue notes.)

[king ubu]

this is collectables' reissue of the Jordan session. I don't have it, but have listended to it a couple of times in some store. Don't remember the music.

It is listed on AMG: Jordan, Liaisons Dangereuses

[ghost of miles]

Yep, I've got both the Blakey version on Fontana and the Collectables Duke Jordan version. Doris Parker's liner notes to the Jordan Collectables CD suggest an unjust appropriation of the music on the Blakey soundtrack, where the compositions are credited to Jacques Marray; she writes that

A man of Duke Jordan's talent and distinction as an artist is not easily hampered or disillusioned by the acts of others such as was the case when his music was misused and the credit denied him three years ago...  The original compositions were four as recorded in 1959, but through misuse by other persons, the melodies became separated and acquired different titles...  This album presents the original compositions and main theme of Les Liaisons Dangereuses by its true composer, Duke Jordan.

Sounds like quite a mess, with controversy about the composing credits, two released versions of the music written for the film, and still no sight of the actual soundtrack recordings made by Thelonious Monk. Is Romano still alive? One has to think, given that Monk is the performer, that the music will eventually surface.

Edited April 12, 2003 by ghost of miles

[brownie]

Ghost of Miles wrote:

Sounds like quite a mess, with controversy about the composing credits,

two released versions of the music written for the film, and still no sight

of the actual soundtrack recordings made by Thelonious Monk.

Is Romano still alive? One has to think, given that Monk is the performer,

that the music will eventually surface.

From what I understand, Marcel Romano is still alive. Haven't talked to him

in years. Will try to get in touch and ask him about the Monk music.

As for the Jack Marray credit, the 'composer' of the music to 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses',

I believe the music was not credited to Duke Jordan for fiscal reasons.

When the film came out and the sountrack was released, it was a very open secret

that Marray was Duke Jordan.

The tune 'No problem' was a minor hit at the time and it was referred then as

Duke Jordan's composition.