Thelonious Monk Paris 1969 out on Blue Note

[erwbol]

bluenote.com (15 October 2013)

Blue Note Records has announced a November 26 release date for Thelonious Monk Paris 1969, a fascinating and important late-career document of the legendary jazz pianist and composer in performance with his Quartet at the Salle Pleyel concert hall in Paris, France on December 15, 1969. Beautifully captured on B&W film, the concert also featured a surprise guest appearance from renowned drummer Philly Joe Jones. Also included is a rare on-camera interview with Monk that was conducted by the French bassist Jacques Hess after the concert. Paris 1969 will be available in several formats including physical releases on CD/DVD, CD and vinyl, as well as a digital album and digital long-form video. Special direct-to-consumer bundles that include a limited edition 18”x24” lithograph poster are currently available HERE.

“The 1969 Paris concert captures the power and the undiminished beauty of Monk’s music, reminding us that even as his body aged his musical imagination knew no limits,” writes Monk scholar Robin Kelley in his liner notes essay. However, Kelley also illuminates what a peculiar and challenging moment 1969 was for the 52-year-old pianist. Monk hadn’t achieved true success until the late-50s with his legendary run at the Five Spot Café in New York City with John Coltrane (a band that was brilliantly captured on the lost recording Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall from 1957 which was discovered and released on Blue Note in 2005). By the early-60s Monk’s success had peaked when he signed with Columbia Records and was eventually featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1964.

However, by 1969, in addition to health issues, Monk’s success was beginning to wane with the emergence of rock and the resulting jazz fusion movement. His recording contract with Columbia had just come to end after an ill-advised attempt at marketing him to a younger rock audience. That disappointment was followed by the departure of drummer Ben Riley and bassist Larry Gales from his band which left Monk with two chairs to fill on short notice before his European tour.

Monk eventually found two young musicians – bassist Nate Hygelund and drummer Paris Wright – to fill out the Quartet with his longtime tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse. Luckily the inexperienced rhythm section had some time to gel before hitting the stage in Paris with a lengthy engagement in London followed by stops in Germany and Italy. By the time they reached the Pleyel the band was in fine form, which made for a triumphant return for Monk to the very stage he had made his Parisian debut on in 1954 in front of a hostile audience who felt that Monk was too avant-garde. 15 years later the situation could not have been more different with an enthusiastic audience and the concert being broadcast on television.

In addition to rollicking Quartet versions of Monk classics such as “I Mean You,” “Straight No Chaser,” and “Blue Monk,” the set also includes three stunning solo piano performances on “Don’t Blame Me,” “I Love You Sweetheart Of All My Dreams,” and “Crepuscule With Nellie.” However, an undeniable highlight of the concert was when the veteran drummer Philly Joe Jones who was an expat living in Paris at the time comes from backstage to borrow the sticks from the 17-year-old Wright, providing a palpable spark on Monk’s “Nutty.”

[jazzbo]

Looking forward to this one!

[jlhoots]

Intrigued for sure.

[.:.impossible]

Seems a vinyl+DVD package would be popular. Poster?

[paul secor]

1969 Monk with an inexperienced rhythm section? I think I'll hold off until I know more.

[erwbol]

See page 408 of Robin Kellley's biography for a lengthy review of the concert.

[John L]

Sounds very nice!

[Steve Gray]

Sounds like this is an earlier release of it based on the reviews.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Thelonious-Monk-Quartet-Pleyel/dp/B002DIPSKY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382262136&sr=8-2&keywords=thelonious+monk+paris

I would imagine the Blue Note version would be of an improved quality, again based on the reviews.

Edited October 20, 2013 by Steve Gray

[king ubu]

Jazz VIP? What's that, the improved version of Jazz Lips?

[erwbol]

Edited November 17, 2013 by erwbol

[Dan Gould]

Is it my imagination or is Blue Note going for a post-Reid Miles, Liberty-era BN cover for this?

They should have updated the logo to a "product of Liberty Records" to complete the effect. Or is that affect?

[erwbol]

Is it really that awful?

[jazzbo]

Seems to me that they are keeping the artwork in line with the previous issues in their live releases of this century, the other Monk (sort of), the Silver and Hubbard (more closely). I like it fine

Edited November 10, 2013 by jazzbo

[sidewinder]

Is it my imagination or is Blue Note going for a post-Reid Miles, Liberty-era BN cover for this?

I thought it looked more like Sonny Lester era Solid State

[John L]

I like the cover!

[Dan Gould]

Is it my imagination or is Blue Note going for a post-Reid Miles, Liberty-era BN cover for this?

I thought it looked more like Sonny Lester era Solid State

[AllenLowe]

well, hopefully Rouse is panned to one side so I can listen without him. His playing drives me crazy.

[erwbol]

First listen on NPR.

[aparxa]

First listen on NPR.

The video does not include the actual beginnning of the set! Imeanyou

[Gheorghe]

I have a DVD of that whole Paris concert from 1969, with the interview with Jaques Hess after the concert, and with 3 bonus tracks Monk playing solo three Ellington tunes on the Berlin Festival 1969 (celebrating Ellington´s 70th birthday)....

About the unexperienced rhythm-section.

The bass player is very good, but I don´t know why Monk picked up that kid who just wasn´t ready to be on stage. He even fails to keep time, pardon but if you play drums and can´t keep time you better stop what you doin´. Listen to "Straigtht no Chaser" where it gets faster and faster and faster, and finally Monk slows it done and the closing theme.

The same thing happens on "Bright Missisipi".

Philly J.J. should have played the whole concert, or Kenny Clarke, he was backstage, you can see him where the film starts, when Monk greets him.

But Monk sounds great like always, Rouse too, even if he´s somehow off the mike. And I didn´t know about the bass player but he really plays some stuff, good musician.....

The interview is also fun. I like Monk´s statement when he was asked which of his compositions he likes most and he says "I didn´t rate ´em ". Or...."I don´t know about geniuses"

[king ubu]

As for drummers rushing ... Monk used Art Taylor for a while, too

[Gheorghe]

Well I didn´t notice that AT did it also ? When and where. IMHO AT always was a great drummer, maybe not for Monk....

[king ubu]

AT rushes time pretty often ... play "Tenor Conclave", go back the beginning of a track once you've reached the end and you'll find the tempo much slower!

Not saying AT wasn't a good drummer, of course, but his time wasn't that excellent, it seems. Not sure if it got better, I don't usually pay too much attention. But in the end he's not one of my favourite drummers of that era.

[jeffcrom]

Okay, I went to my favorite brick-and-mortar store today and picked up the CD. The short story is that, warts and all, I like this music a lot.

And there are plenty of warts. Yes, Paris Wright, the young drummer, rushes some. That doesn't bother me much - I've never minded the tempo picking up a little nearly as much as when the tempo drops. It bothers me more that the rhythm section is just not together much of the time - they can't agree on where the beat is. And Wright's approach to "Ruby My Dear" is clumsy, and detracts from the mood.

Ironically, the only performance that rushed so much that I was uncomfortable was "Nutty," with Philly Joe on drums. That tune rushed more than any of the ones with Wright on drums.

But to me, the bottom line is that Rouse is in good form and Monk in great form. His solos are wonderful, and his comping (on "I Mean You" and "Straight No Chaser," for instance) is masterful; it reminds us that Monk is thinking compositionally. This kind of thoughtful, involved comping ties things together and takes the music to another level.

The sound is kind of bootleg-y, the rhythm section is uncomfortable, and tunes speed up. Except for the rushing on "Nutty" and Wright's drumming on "Ruby," little of that bothered me that much. This is an exciting performance, in spite of the above-listed flaws, and maybe, to some extent, because of them. It's jazz, baby.

[jlhoots]

Okay, I went to my favorite brick-and-mortar store today and picked up the CD. The short story is that, warts and all, I like this music a lot.

And there are plenty of warts. Yes, Paris Wright, the young drummer, rushes some. That doesn't bother me much - I've never minded the tempo picking up a little nearly as much as when the tempo drops. It bothers me more that the rhythm section is just not together much of the time - they can't agree on where the beat is. And Wright's approach to "Ruby My Dear" is clumsy, and detracts from the mood.

Ironically, the only performance that rushed so much that I was uncomfortable was "Nutty," with Philly Joe on drums. That tune rushed more than any of the ones with Wright on drums.

But to me, the bottom line is that Rouse is in good form and Monk in great form. His solos are wonderful, and his comping (on "I Mean You" and "Straight No Chaser," for instance) is masterful; it reminds us that Monk is thinking compositionally. This kind of thoughtful, involved comping ties things together and takes the music to another level.

The sound is kind of bootleg-y, the rhythm section is uncomfortable, and tunes speed up. Except for the rushing on "Nutty" and Wright's drumming on "Ruby," little of that bothered me that much. This is an exciting performance, in spite of the above-listed flaws, and maybe, to some extent, because of them. It's jazz, baby.

On its way to me + the DVD.