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On Thelonious Monk


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“But Monk’s wholly original songwriting is his most lasting legacy. Taking intro, verse, refrain, bridge, coda, and “hook”—all the humble nonlinguistic bones of song—he bent them toward his own specific needs and vision. In this sense, he becomes part of a broader renaissance of American song in the second half of the twentieth century.

https://thebaffler.com/salvos/jazz-is-freedom-grimstad

 

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Monk was amazing. And strange. His earliest recordings show him as a sort of Teddy Wilson/Art Tatum player, or at least far more so than later. Then it seems to me that he had a sort of Ellingtonian phase and that he edited his playing down to essentials and beyond . . . until finally he was edited down to silence!

He was able to create captivating ear worms that become major melody components. You can listen to him all your life without fatigue.

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11 hours ago, gvopedz said:

 In this sense, he becomes part of a broader renaissance of American song in the second half of the twentieth century.

This is probably/maybe true, but I'm not sure that it is relevant, especially going forth. I think he's a lot more/bigger than that. Especially the "song" part of it, because as "song" continues to evolve/devolve/revolve, Monk's profundity continues to reveal itself as it's own thing, a very standalone reality.

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Very early on in my jazz life, I encountered a Riverside reissue of Monk's live recordings called "Two Hours With Thelonious" at JC Fields for like $.57.  I had heard of him, but never heard him.  I picked it up, took it home, listened to it, and was spellbound for hours.  No one like him.  Has there ever been a really good biography written on him?

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1 hour ago, Milestones said:

Can anyone tell me who else has recorded "Locomotive"?   Monk set it down twice in the studio (a decade or so apart), and other than that I just have Frank Kimbrough's version.  I always liked this tune.

 

 

Here are the listings in the Tom Lord Jazz Discography for songs titled "Locomotive" recorded after Monk's original. Note that there could be multiple songs with that title, so some of these are likely not the Monk song, though artist/context makes many of them fairly clear.

 

  Hackensack, N.J., May 11, 1954
570 We see [Wee see] Prest PRLP180, Metronome (Swd)MEP284, Le Chant Du
    Monde (F)2741365 [CD]
571 Smoke gets in your eyes Prest PRLP180, Metronome (Swd)MEP284, Giants of
    Jazz (It)LPJT58, Smithsonian P6-11891, RD039 [CD]
572 Locomotive Prest PRLP180, Metronome (Swd)MEP285, Le Chant Du
    Monde (F)2741365 [CD]
573 Hackensack Prest PRLP180, Metronome (Swd)MEP285, Prestige
    PRCD-24251-2 [CD]
Note: Smithsonian R039 [CD] titled "Jazz piano".
All above titles also on Prestige PRLP180, PRLP7053, PRLP7245, (S)PR7245, PR7363, PRST7363, PR7848, PR24006, OJC 016, Prestige (F)68.321, 68.366/8, (Du)PPR082, MPR-S3082, (It)HB6004, (Jap)SMJ-6626, LPR-88008, VICJ-23613 [CD], VICJ-2027 [CD], Barclay (F)BLP84015, BLP84082, Bellaphon (G)BLST6516, Esquire (E)20-039, 32-109, Stateside (E)SL10152, Craft 00031, Prestige (Eu)CDJZD009 [CD], OJC CD016-2 [CD], Properbox (E)101 [CD], Prestige 3PRCD-4428-2 [CD].
[L122]Full musician list Your CollectionAdd   Steve Lacy
Steve Lacy Quartet : same pers
  New York, September, 1964
  Locomotive (unissued)    Verve
  Hornin' in      -
  Coming on the Hudson      -
  I mean you      -
Thelonious Monk Quartet : same pers
  New York, November 15, 1966
CO 92020 Locomotive Columbia CL2651, 9451, (Eu)468409-2 [CD],
    Columbia/Legacy CK64886 [CD], 88697-95768-2 [CD]
  Isartal, Germany, 1978
34892 Ataraxia (part 1) Atlantic SD19177
34893 Ataraxia (part 2)         -
34894 Sky blue         -
34895 Mandrake         -
34896 Reng ding dang dong         -
34897 Loco-motive         -       , 3487
34898 The secret         -
34899 Louisiana         -
34900 Alegria         -
Note: Master numbers were added later by Atlantic US.
The above session probably originally issued on Atlantic (G) but number is unknown.
All above titles also on Amiga (G)8.55.668.
  Hollywood, Ca., c. 1981
  Come on home Palo Alto PA8054N, TBA 8054 [CD]
  Soft shoulder          -            -
  Leroy          -            -
  Locomotive          -            -
  Chasin' the sunrise          -            -
  Emerald Isle          -            -
  Recorded at Robert Wyatt's home, England, early 1980's
  Locomotive Rough Trade (E)R3112 [CD]
  Paris, June 16 & 17, 1983
  Morning blues raga Free Lance (F)FRL004
  With love inside           -
  Ballad for Jeremy           -
  Feel good at last           -
  Confirmation           -
  Locomotive           -
  Mood indigo           -
  Miles' mode           -
Le Cercle De Pierres : Grand Orchestre Bekummernis : Michel Barre, Bernard Della Nave, Howard Hyde, Michel Torreilles (tp) Philippe Lapeyre, Stefan Legee (tb) Denis Davazoglou (b-tb) Gabriel Capet, Philippe Legris (tu) Florent Barrois, Jean-Michel Tavernier (fhr) Youenn Le Berre (fl,pic) Nano Peylet (cl) Denis Colin (cl,b-cl) Francois Creamer (b-cl) Bertrand Auger (b-cl-1) Jacques Zanettacci (oboe,eng-hrn) Simon Spang-Hanssen (sop,ts) Philippe Sellam (as) Francois Cotinaud (ts,sop) Carl Schlosser (bar) Jean-Pierre Chaty (bassax) Jean-Michel Bernard (p) Vincent Le Masne (synt-3,dir) Francois Moutin (b) Michel Risse (d-2,perc-3) Louis Moutin (d-4) Pierre Marcault (cga,perc) Vincent Limouzin (marimba,vib,xyl,perc) Laurent Petitgirard (dir-5) Luc Le Masne (comp,dir)
  Paris, summer 1986
  Le cercle de pierres (2,5) Menelas (F)MEN002 [CD]
  I mouvement        -
  Prologue  
  Les neuf Pierres  
  Epilogue  
  II mouvement        -
  1re partie  
  2e partie  
  III mouvement        -
  Choral  
  Aquhorthies  
  Spirale  
  Choral  
  Locomotive (1,4,5)        -
  Locomotive  
  Blues  
  Gospel  
  Fifty-fifty (2,4)        -
  1re partie  
  2e partie  
  3e partie  
Thelonious : Buell Neidlinger/Marty Krystall : Marty Krystall (ts,as) John Beasley (p) Buell Neidlinger (b) Billy Osborne (d)
  Burbank, CA, November, 1986
  Thelonious K2B2 Records 2569
  Trinkle tinkle             -
  Bye-ya             -
  Crepuscule with Nellie             -    , 2969 [CD]
  Locomotive             -    , 2969 [CD]
  Who knows ?             -
  Ask me now             -
  Jackie-ing             -    , 2969 [CD]
Low Life : Peter Brotzmann/Bill Laswell : Peter Brotzmann (bassax) Bill Laswell (el-b)
  New York, January 3-6, 1987
  Death rattle Celluloid CEL5016, CELD5016 [CD]
  Low life          -         -
  Disengage          -         -
  Locomotive          -         -
  Barrier          -         -
  Wheeling vultures          -         -
  Curved dog          -         -
  Abasement          -         -
  Land one          -         -
  Tingle hairs          -         -
  The last detective          -         -
Note: All above titles also on Jazzwerkstatt (G)JW012 [CD].
  Milan, Italy, June 24 & 25, 1987
  Rockin' in rhythm Soul Note (It)121161-1, (It)121161-2 [CD]
  Raise four          -              -
  Locomotive          -              -
  Jumpin' punkins          -              -
  Skippy          -              -
  Jackie-ing          -              -
  I mean you          -              -
  Subtle slough          -              -
  Brake's sake          -              -
  Boo Boo's birthday          -              -
  Main stem          -              -
Note: Soul Note (It)SN1161 = (It)121161-1.
  New York, November, 1987
  Mr. Go Columbia FC44214, CK44214 [CD]
  Power play         -         -
  W. 110th St         -         -
  Spanish flower         -         -
  Forever (ab,ki, vcl)         -         -
  Mel         -         -
  Amethyst (1)         -         -
  Locomotive         -         -
  Very early                   -
Note: All above titles on Epic (E)461184-1 and (E)461184-2 [CD], A Touch (Jap)32.8H-5004 [CD].
All titles on Columbia FC44214 also on A Touch (Jap)28.3H-5004.
  Palace Theatre, Los Angeles, summer 1988
  Epistrophy K2B2 Records 3269 [CD]
  Thelonious             -
  Little rootie tootie             -
  Locomotive             -
  Skippy             -
  Englewood Cliffs, N.J., January 10 & 11, 1989
  Talking Capri 74016-2 [CD]
  I'm old fashioned      -
  The purest heart [For lady]      -
  Pennies for Sue      -
  Don't explain      -
  El Sueno      -
  Er-um-uh      -
  She's funny that way      -
  Heaven's here      -
  Locomotive      -
[T4929]Full musician list Your CollectionAdd   Stan Tracey
same pers
  Live "The Jazz Club", Hong Kong, March 29, 1991
  Playin' in the yard (2) (unissued)
  Some other blues (2)      -
  Monk's dream (2)      -
  Lover man (2)      -
  Li'l ol' Pottsville (2)      -
  Exactly like you (1)      -
  'Round midnight (2)      -
  Triple celebration (2)      -
  Locomotive (2)      -
  G minor blues (2)      -
  A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square (2)      -
  First moves (2)      -
  Let's cool one (2)      -
  Afro blue (1)      -
  You stepped out of a dream (2)      -
  Body and soul (2)      -
  Autumn leaves (1)      -
Blue Rouse : Yoshiyuki Yamanaka Quartet : Yoshiyuki Yamanaka (ts) Kenichi Yoshida (p) Teiji Sasaki (b) Yasushi Hiroe (d)
  Tokyo, August 28 & 29, 1993
  Unsung hero Paddle Wheel (Jap)KICJ-179 [CD]
  Evidence             -
  Blue Rouse             -
  Eronel             -
  Locomotive             -
  If you could see me now             -
  Hackensack             -
  Nutty             -
  Reflections             -
  Live, Prato, September 3, 1993
  Locomotive Splasc(h) (It)CDH411-2 [CD]
  Biss          -
  Alley cat          -
  Dabaraban          -
Note: Other titles by other leaders.
  Stockholm, January 30, 1998-May 12, 1999
  Locomotive Sittel (Swd)SITCD9264 [CD]
  Swedish schnapps       -
  Kids know valse hot       -
  Why don't I       -
  Sunset eyes       -
  Hamdusiyya       -
  Saxophone valley       -
  Hollywood, CA, September-November 1998
  Green chimneys RCA 09026-63472-2 [CD]
  Hackensack    -
  Brilliant corners    -
  Monk's dream    -
  'Round midnight (1)    -
  Bemsha swing    -
  Shuffle boil    -
  Boo Boo's birthday (2)    -
  Evidence    -
  Ugly beauty    -
  Think of one    -
  (Medley :)    -
  Light blue    -
  Rhythm-a-ning (2)    -
  Ruby my dear    -
  Crepescule with Nellie Rare (E)RAR1002 [CD]
  Locomotive     -
  Off minor     -
  Ruby my dear (electric version)     -
Note: All above titles also on Rare (E)RAR1002 [CD] titled "Green Chimneys (The Music of Thelonious Monk)".
[S2103.10]Your CollectionAdd   Michiel Scheen
Sphere's Works : Michiel Scheen (p)
  Amsterdam, December, 1998
  Green chimneys Filiaal (Du)3 [CD]
  Bye-ya        -
  Epistrophy        -
  Locomotive        -
  Brilliant corners        -
  Jackie-ing        -
  Played twice        -
  Pannonica        -
  'Round midnight        -
  Off minor        -
  Stuffy turkey        -
  Bemsha swing        -
  New swing        -
  (Medley :)        -
  We see        -
  Monk's point        -
[J3328.3]Your CollectionAdd   Noel Jewkes
Noel Jewkes Quartet at The Limeleaf, Vol. 2 : Noel Jewkes (ts,sop) John Opferkuch (p) Rob Tornsen (b) Duncan Moore (d)
  Live "Limeleaf Restaurant", La Jolla, CA, July 23 & 24, 1999
  Soft light and sweet music Jim Merod Music JM-05 [CD]
  Gloria                -
  The dolphins                -
  I only have eyes for you                -
  Bruce is loose                -
  I want a butter and egg man                -
  Limehouse line [Limehouse blues]                -
  Locomotive                -
[M5762.20]Your CollectionAdd   Mike Melillo
Timeless Monk : Mike Melillo/Franco D'Andrea : Mike Melillo, Franco D'Andrea (p)
  Milan, November 22, 1999
  Work Philology (It)W172-2 [CD]
  Let's call this          -
  Monk's mood          -
  Friday the 13          -
  Evidence          -
  Misterioso          -
  Locomotive          -
  Pannonica          -
  Ba lues bolivar ba lues are          -
  Timeless Monk          -
  Monk's mood (II)          -
Monk By Five : Ulf Adaker/Joakim Milder/Bobo Stenson/Palle Danielsson/Jonas Holgersson : Ulf Adaker (tp) Joakim Milder (ts) Bobo Stenson (p) Palle Danielsson (b) Jonas Holgersson (d)
  Sundbyberg, September 2 & October 2, 2000
  Let's call this Touche Music (Swd)TMcCD012 [CD]
  Worry later             -
  Pannonica             -
  Think of one             -
  Light blue             -
  Evidence             -
  Ugly beauty             -
  Locomotive             -
  Bemsha swing             -
  Ruby my dear             -
  Bye-ya             -
  Monk's dream             -
[B16154.20]Your CollectionAdd   Jeffrey Burr
  2001
  Locomotive (part I) Jeffrey Burr (no #) [CD]
  Wayne's refrain             -
  Legal eyes             -
  Myoko             -
  Poem             -
  Say say o playmate             -
  Somewhere out there             -
  Zombiecavemanrobot             -
  Zombiecavemanrobot             -
  The logician             -
  Han solo and the princess             -
  Locomotive (part II)             -
[J6051]Your CollectionAdd   Vic Juris
  New York ?, March, 2001
  Long ago and far away SteepleChase (Dan)SCCD31516 [CD]
  Poor butterfly             -
  Django             -
  Swedish pastry             -
  You won't forget me             -
  Gloria's step             -
  Giant steps             -
  One true friend             -
  Golden earrings             -
  Peace             -
  Locomotive             -
Prelude : Frank Carlberg/Masa Kamuguchi/Jimmy Weinstein : Frank Carlberg (p) Masa Kamaguchi (b) Jimmy Weinstein (d)
  Brooklyn, NY, May 30, 2001
  Prelude Splasc(h) (It)CDH839 [CD]
  Locomotive          -
  El segundo          -
  Fast blues          -
  Interlude          -
  Little rootie tootie          -
  Juha          -
  Blind drive          -
  Fantasy          -
  Postlude          -
[S9866.10]Your CollectionAdd   Paolo Sorge
  Catania, Italy, February, 2002
  Prologo Auand (It)AU9003 [CD]
  I mean you      -
  Evidence      -
  Bye-ya      -
  Crepuscule with Nellie      -
  Trinkle tinkle      -
  Misterioso      -
  Ask me now      -
  Monk's mood      -
  Friday the 13th      -
  Locomotive      -
  Little rootie tootie      -
  Epilogo      -
[M9611.30]Your CollectionAdd   Monk's Casino
  Live "A-Trane", Berlin, Germany, June 19 & 20, 2003, February 24 & 25, 2004
  Thelonious Intakt (Swi)CD100 [CD]
  Locomotive       -
  Trinkle-tinkle       -
  Stuffy turkey       -
  Coming on the Hudson       -
  Intro Bemsha swing       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Bemsha swing       -
  52nd Street theme       -
  Pannonica       -
  Evidence       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Misterioso       -
  Sixteen       -
  Skippy       -
  Monk's point       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Green chimneys       -
  Little Rootie Tootie       -
  San Francisco holiday       -
  Off minor       -
  Gallop's gallop       -
  Crepuscule with Nellie       -
  Hackensack       -
  Consecutive second's       -
  Brilliant corners       -
  Eronel       -
  Monk's dream       -
  Shuffle boil       -
  Hornin' in       -
  Criss cross       -
  Introspection       -
  Ruby, my dear       -
  In walked Bud       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Let's cool one       -
  Let's call this       -
  Jackie-ing       -
  Humph       -
  Functional       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Work       -
  I mean you       -
  Monk's mood       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Four in one       -
  Round about midnight       -
  Played twice       -
  Friday the 13th       -
  Ugly beauty       -
  Bye-ya       -
  Oska T.       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Bolivar blues       -
  Well you needn't       -
  Brake's sake       -
  Nutty       -
  Who knows       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Blue hawk       -
  North of the sunset       -
  Blue sphere       -
  Something in blue       -
  Boo boo's birthday       -
  Ask me now       -
  Think of one       -
  Raise four       -
  (Medley :) (2)       -
  Japanese folk song (2)       -
  Children's song (2)       -
  Blue Monk (1,2)       -
  We see       -
  Bright Mississippi       -
  Reflections       -
  Blues Five Spot [Five Spot Blues]       -
  Light blue       -
  Teo       -
  Rhythm-a-ning       -
  A merrier Christmas (3)       -
  (Medley :)       -
  Straight no chaser       -
  Epistrophy       -
Note: Intakt (Swi) CD100 [CD] is a 3 CD set.
[B10172.5]Your CollectionAdd   Bondage Fruit
  Freedom Studio & foxyroom, Japan, August, 2004
  Three voices Maboroshi No Sekai (Jap)MAPO-019 [CD]
  Rath                   -
  Locomotive                   -
  Dear gazelle                   -
  The train                   -
  Something green                   -
  I/O                   -
  Mill Valley, CA, August 8, 9, 10 & 11, 2005
  Let's call this CMB Records CB102843 [CD]
  Bye-ya            -
  Brake's sake            -
  Ruby my dear            -
  Evidence            -
  Locomotive            -
  Well you needn't            -
  Something in blue            -
  Hornin' in            -
  Green chimneys            -
  Light blue            -
  Criss cross            -
  Straight no chaser            -
[T4946.40]Your CollectionAdd   Stan Tracey
  Bulls Head, Barnes, London, December 7, 2006
  I mean you ReSteamed (E)RSJ104 [CD]
  Locomotive          -
  Well you needn't          -
  'Round midnight (solo-p)          -
  Blues bolivar          -
  Monk's mood (ts,p duet)          -
  Let's cool one          -
  Bright Mississippi          -
[T2101.10]Your CollectionAdd   Thelonious 4
  The Netherlands, 2007
  Boo Boo's birthday (Unknown Label & #) [CD]
  We see               -
  Let's call this               -
  Light blue               -
  Locomotive               -
  Hackensack               -
  Coming on the Hudson               -
  Boulder, CO, 2008
  Shake 'em on down (1) Naked Jay Bird 6 [CD]
  Steel pony blues               -
  Bury my boots               -
  Terraplane blues               -
  Boll weevil               -
  Chef menteur               -
  Strange things               -
  Milk cow blues               -
  Locomotive (1)               -
  What are you hungry for (1)               -
  Rabbit song (1)               -
  Jitterbug swing (1)               -
  Cypress grove (1)               -
  Shake your money maker (1)               -
  Shake 'em on down               -
[A2053.50]Your CollectionAdd   Ken Aldcroft
Hat And Beard Live At Somewhere There: Music Of Thelonious Monk : Ken Aldcroft & Dave Clark : Ken Aldcroft (g) Dave Clark (d)
  Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 11, 2009
  52nd Street theme Trio Records (Can)TRP-013 [CD]
  Locomotive             -
  Green chimneys             -
  Nutty             -
  I mean you             -
  We see             -
  Bye ya             -
  Little rootie tootie             -
[P2263.5]Your CollectionAdd   Peeping Tom
  Live "Periscope", Lyon, France, May, 2009
  Koko Umlaut (F)LC-UMCD01 [CD]
  (Medley:)       -
  Locomotive       -
  Light blue       -
  Evidence       -
  Un poco loco       -
  (Medley:)       -
  Constellation       -
  Old time Southside street dance       -
  Mohawk       -
  Bebop       -
  (Medley:)       -
  Shaw 'nuff       -
  Parisian thoroughfare       -
  Four in one       -
  Donna Lee       -
[P2263.10]Your CollectionAdd   Peeping Tom
  Live "Periscope", Lyon, France, May 23, 2009
  Koko Umlaut (F)LC-UMCD01 [CD]
  (Medley:)       -
  Locomotive       -
  Light blue       -
  Evidence       -
  Un poco loco       -
  (Medley:)       -
  Constellation       -
  Old time Southside Street dance       -
  Mohawk       -
  Bebop       -
  (Medley:)       -
  Shaw 'nuff       -
  Parisian thoroughfare       -
  Four in one       -
  Donna Lee       -
[T236.19.10]Your CollectionAdd   Aki Takase
2 For 2 : Aki Takase/Han Bennink : Aki Takase (p) Han Bennink (d)
  Berlin, Germany, May 2-4, 2011
  Two for two Intakt (Swi)CD193 [CD]
  My Tokyo       -
  Locomotive       -
  Zankapfel       -
  Knut       -
  Baumkuchen       -
  Monochrome       -
  Raise four       -
  Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?       -
  A chotto matte       -
  Hat and beard       -
  Ohana han       -
  Rolled up       -
  Hell und dunkel       -
  Hommage to Thelonious Monk       -
  Two for two       -
Schlippenbach Plays Monk : Alexander Von Schlippenbach (p)
  Berlin, Germany, November 22 & 23, 2011
  Reverence Intakt (Swi)CD207 [CD]
  Work       -
  Interlude 1       -
  Locomotive       -
  Introspection I       -
  Introspection II       -
  Coming on the Hudson       -
  Interlude 2       -
  Epistrophy       -
  Interlude 3       -
  Reflections       -
  Interlude 4       -
  Interlude 5       -
  Brilliant corners       -
  Interlude 6       -
  Interlude 7       -
  Pannonica       -
  Interlude 8       -
  Played twice       -
  Epilogue       -
[S10632.0.10]Your CollectionAdd   Spinning Quintet
Nice If You Can : Spinning Quintet Featuring Mike Melillo : Giacomo Uncini (tp) Antonangelo Giudice (sax) Mike Melillo (p) Gabriele Pesaresi (b) Massimo Manzi (d)
  c. 2012
  Nice if you can Notami Jazz (It)NJ002 [CD]
  House party starting            -
  Nature boy            -
  Close your eyes            -
  Spinning song            -
  Monking business            -
  Autumn nocturne            -
  Locomotive            -
  Moon rays            -
[W4248.20]Your CollectionAdd   The Whammies
  Acton, MA, February 2, 2012
  Bone Driff CD1201 [CD]
  As usual      -
  The wire      -
  Ducks      -
  Dutch masters      -
  I feel a draft      -
  The whammies      -
  Locomotive      -
  Rome, Italy, April 22 & 23, 2013
  (Medley:) Parco della Musica (It)MPR053 [CD]
  Into the mystery                   -
  Deep riff                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Light blue                   -
  Epistrophy                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Misterioso                   -
  Monk's W.T.L.                   -
  Bright Mississippi                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Monk's mood                   -
  D.T. abstraction                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Monodic                   -
  Well you needn't                   -
  A new rag suite                   -
  I mean you                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Monk's W.T.L.                   -
  Locomotive                   -
  Un gioco                   -
  Blue Monk                   -
  Brake's sake                   -
  Naif                   -
  (Medley:)                   -
  Blue Monk                   -
  Brake's sake                   -
  Naif                   -
  Un gioco                   -
  Coming on the Hudson                   -
  Brake's sake (alt take)                   -
  Coming on the Hudson (alt take)                   -
Note: Parco della Musica (It)MPR053 [CD] is a 2 CD set.
[S4306.50]Your CollectionAdd   Arturo Serra
  Granada, Spain, December 3, 2015
  Dual force Swing Alley (Sp)SA033 [CD]
  El Gaucho            -
  I waited for you            -
  L's bop            -
  Locomotive            -
  Wild flower            -
  Little Melonae            -
  Rounder's mood            -
  So far, so near            -
  Giant steps            -
Work: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Monk : Miles Okazaki (g)
  Brooklyn, NY, September 2017-May 2018
  Locomotive Bandcamp/Miles Okazaki (no #) [DL]
  Brilliant corners                       -
  Gallop's gallop                       -
  Light blue                       -
  Evidence                       -
  Crepuscule with Nellie                       -
  San Francisco holiday                       -
  Monk's point                       -
  Shuffle boil                       -
  Jackie-ing                       -
  Criss cross                       -
  Introspection                       -
  Functional                       -
  We see                       -
  Sixteen                       -
  Misterioso                       -
  Humph                       -
  Teo                       -
  Hornin' in                       -
  Raise four                       -
  Skippy                       -
  Pannonica                       -
  Think of one                       -
  Well you needn't                       -
  Bolivar blues                       -
  Monk's dream                       -
  Little Rootie Tootie                       -
  Eronel                       -
  Thelonious                       -
  Ruby, my dear                       -
  Four in one                       -
  Bluehawk                       -
  Stuffy turkey                       -
  A merrier Christmas                       -
  Played twice                       -
  Bemsha swing                       -
  Blues Five Spot                       -
  Bye-ya                       -
  Who knows                       -
  Green chimneys                       -
  Blue Sphere                       -
  Ugly beauty                       -
  Oska T                       -
  Hackensack                       -
  Ask me now                       -
  I mean you                       -
  52nd Street theme                       -
  Something in blue                       -
  Nutty                       -
  Off minor                       -
  Two timer                       -
  In walked Bud                       -
  Monk's mood                       -
  Let's call this                       -
  Let's cool one                       -
  Children's song                       -
  Boo Boo's birthday                       -
  Rhythm-a-ning                       -
  North of the sunset                       -
  Epistrophy                       -
  Bright Mississippi                       -
  Coming on the Hudson                       -
  Trinkle tinkle                       -
  Reflections                       -
  Brake's sake                       -
  Straight no chaser                       -
  Friday the 13th                       -
  'Round midnight                       -
  Work                       -
  Blue Monk                       -
[K2098.150]Your CollectionAdd   Frank Kimbrough
  Maggie's Farm, Pipersville, PA, May 28, 2018
  North of the sunset (1) Sunnyside SSC4032 [CD]
  Nutty (1)          -
  Trinkle tinkle (1)          -
  Blues Five Spot (1)          -
  'Round midnight (1)          -
  Jackie-ing (1)          -
  Well you needn't (2)          -
  Sixteen (1)          -
  Locomotive (3)          -
  Gallop's gallop (1)          -
  Children's song (1,4)          -
  Friday the 13th (1)          -
  Let's call this (1)          -
[D4189.226]Your CollectionAdd   Jed Distler
Fearless Monk : 29 Songs by Thelonious Monk : Jed Distler (p)
  c. 2019
  Thelonious TNC Jazz CD-1741 [CD]
  Bemsha swing         -
  Off minor         -
  Misterioso         -
  Let's cool one         -
  Bye-ya         -
  Light blue         -
  Ruby, my dear         -
  Jackie-ing         -
  Brilliant corners         -
  San Francisco holiday         -
  (Medley:)         -
  Stuffy turkey         -
  Teo         -
  Coming on the Hudson         -
  Locomotive         -
  Played twice         -
  Reflections         -
  I mean you         -
  Nutty         -
  Evidence         -
  Introspection         -
  Brake's sake         -
  Monk's dream         -
  'Round midnight         -
  Epistrophy         -
  Criss-cross         -
  Monk's mood         -
  Straight no chaser         -
  Think of one         -
  Blue Monk         -
  Ugly beauty         -
O'Higgins & Luft Play Monk & Trane : Dave O'Higgins & Rob Luft : Dave O'Higgins (ts) Scott Flanigan (org) Rob Luft (g) Rod Youngs (d)
  London, England, January 14 & 15, 2019
  Little Melonae Ubuntu Music (E)UBU0029 [CD]
  Locomotive             -
  Minor mishap             -
  I'll wait and pray             -
  Trinkle tinkle             -
  Like Sonny             -
  'Round midnight             -
  Dreamland             -
  Locomotive             -
[B4593.37]Your CollectionAdd   John Beasley
  California, June & July 2019
  Steve-O Mack Avenue MAC1172 [CD]
  Sam Rivers            -
  Monk's mood            -
  Donna Lee            -
  Song for Dub            -
  Five Spot            -
  Implication            -
  Intermission            -
  Masekela            -
  (Medley:)            -
  Rhythm-a-ning            -
  Evidence            -
  Off minor            -
  Be.you.tiful            -
  Locomotive            -
  Come Sunday            -
  Paris, France, July 5 & 6, 2020
  Laura Martina Whirlwind (E)WR4773 [CD]
  Loco-motive          -
  Arlene's march          -
  Capitano          -
  Self-made man          -
  The turtle          -
  Concern in the background          -
  945 St. Nicholas Ave.          -
  Mon ange          -
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Monk always has been a big inspiration for me as a musician. Somehow I adopted some of his musical language if I treat a song that maybe not even is a "jazz standard" and it would turn into some of the chord voicings that I got as inspiration for Monk.
Once my wife asked me to play some "classic piece" and the only one I "know" is a little Chopin Waltz. It has some nice chords and I leave some notes out and anyway my phrasing is as far removed from classical piano as it could be, at least that´s what I assume. 
Well so maybe it looks and sounds somehow "funny" for people with classical trained ears....

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that whole piece in the Baffler is riddled with errors; I sent them a message offering to make corrections but they did not respond.

15 hours ago, jazzbo said:

Monk was amazing. And strange. His earliest recordings show him as a sort of Teddy Wilson/Art Tatum player, or at least far more so than later. Then it seems to me that he had a sort of Ellingtonian phase and that he edited his playing down to essentials and beyond . . . until finally he was edited down to silence!

He was able to create captivating ear worms that become major melody components. You can listen to him all your life without fatigue.

I've always felt that the whole "he could play like Teddy Wilson" etc thing was a myth. I have really heard nothing that shows this. From the beginning he plays like Monk.

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30 minutes ago, AllenLowe said:

 

I've always felt that the whole "he could play like Teddy Wilson" etc thing was a myth. I have really heard nothing that shows this. From the beginning he plays like Monk.

If you say so. I hear differently in his earliest recordings from Minton's.

Edited by jazzbo
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1 hour ago, jazzbo said:

If you say so. I hear differently in his earliest recordings from Minton's.

I'm with Allen. While nobody comes from nothing, whatever Teddy Wilson is in Monk -- and there is some -- is well-sublimated to Monk's own voice by the 1941 Minton's recordings. I mean, here they are playing the same tune about four years apart. 

 

Edited by Mark Stryker
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Among, per Allen's post, the many errors in that Monk piece in the Baffler,  the person in the anecdote therein about Monk and Alfred Lion meeting for the first time is not editor Robert Gottlieb but photographer-writer William Gottlieb. At the time that meeting is supposed to have taken place, Robert Gottlieb would have been in kneepants.

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re: Teddy Wilson...the first that I know seeing that brought into the discussion was a Metronome(?) "pro vs con" in the 1950s right after the big Riverside breakthrough. article that was part of a series where two critics would "take sides" about a given artist. In Monk's case, it was Stanley Dance taking the "con" on Monk. He jibed at the notion that Monk could be playing "regularly" if he wanted to by commenting that the evidence put forth was the Minton's recordings, on which Dance said that Monk was playing "sub-par Teddy Wilson style piano".

I'm going from 40+ year memories of college music library immersion in old jazz periodicals, so I'm not sure if it was Metronome, but am absolutely certain that it was Dance, and that my quote is about 90% accurate, even with the passage of a lot of years. I also recall that Dance disingenuously used some semi-quote from Coleman Hawkins about the Monk's Music session to discredit Monk, which I think was almost certainly placed out of context.

If anybody was explicitly linking Monk to Teddy Wilson before that, I'm not aware of it. It certainly could have happened, though. But I'm interested in seeing just how far back that goes as far as the general public discourse. I mean, I hear it, but it's at best secondary, imo.

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