Record Reviews

THELONIOUS MONK ~ COMPLETE COLUMBIA STUDIO ALBUMS COLLECTION SONY 886979576827 (Barcode: 886979576827) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 - 1968 Released: 2012 Although most often associated with the Bebop genre, American pianist / composer Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist was in fact one of the very few Jazz icons, that managed to create a completely personal style, unlike any another before or after. His playing and his compositions were absolutely outrageous, unconventional and plainly weird. Strange chord changes, aggressive attack, long out of nowhere glissandos and those unexpected pauses in the most unexpected places created a musical experience, which logically made no sense whatsoever but in practice sounded most wonderfully. As many other human geniuses, he is therefore often suspected of being an alien stranded on our pitiful planet. Monk started to record in the mid-1940s as part of the Bebop explosion and over the years worked with Blue NoteFind albums on this label, PrestigeFind albums on this label and RiversideFind albums on this label labels, but his last, longest and most stable and productive period was spent with ColumbiaFind albums on this label records in the 1960s, when these albums were originally recorded. These are the quartet recordings, made with his quartet, which lasted for eleven years and was his preferential vehicle. It included the saxophonist Charlie RouseFind albums by this artist, who was the quartet´s member for that entire duration, bassist John OreFind albums by this artist and later Butch WarrenFind albums by this artist and Larry GalesFind albums by this artist and drummer Frankie DunlopFind albums by this artist and later Ben RileyFind albums by this artist. The music on these albums is a mixture of Monk originals (the majority of the material), some of which were previously recorded on other labels, and his treatment of standards, which of course are often quite remote from the origin. The playing is absolutely stunning, not only by Monk but also by Rouse, who surely deserves the title of the most underrated saxophonist in Jazz history. The quartet format was best serving Monk´s idiosyncratic style and manner, but he also recorded in other formats, like piano solo. Some of his remarkable live performances were also released on Columbia and hopefully all that material will be released in the future as part of the Box Set series. These six albums, remastered and expanded with numerous bonus tracks and accompanied by informative liner notes constitute some of the most important Jazz music ever recorded, which gets better with time and penetrates deeper every time it is listened to. There is no way and serious Jazz buff can afford not having this in his collection; that would be simply sacrilegious. And next time you open your door to a small green humanoid with a couple of antennas on his head, just play him some Monk; he´ll surely dig it!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 6 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

THELONIOUS MONK ~ LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES 1960 SAM 5051083118477 (Barcode: 5051083118477) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 Released: 2017 This is an extraordinary archival album by the iconic American pianist / composer / bandleader Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist, recorded in NY with his regular quartet, which included saxophonist Charlie RouseFind albums by this artist, bassist Sam JonesFind albums by this artist and drummer Art TaylorFind albums by this artist, expanded to a quintet with the addition of the French saxophonist Barney WilenFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded to serve as a soundtrack to the film by the French film director Roger VadimFind albums by this artist, entitled “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”. In complete contrast to the attitude American Jazz modernists, like Monk, suffered from at home, being constantly abused and subject to racial discrimination and ridiculous disapproval by narrow-minded music “critics”, in Europe and especially so in France, they enjoyed no less than a godly status, being absolutely revered by the local intellectual aristocracy and the general public alike. The revolutionary, brilliant French cinema of the late 1950s had an established liaison with Jazz, including the Miles Davis soundtrack for the 1957 film “Ascenseur pour l`échafaudFind albums with this title” by the director Louis MalleFind albums by this artist. There are numerous other examples of Jazz soundtracks in French cinema, but also in UK and even behind the Iron Curtain, especially so in Poland. This 2CD album offers ten tracks on CD1, all which were used within the film’s soundtracks, and six tracks on CD2, which were recorded during the same session, but were not included in the film. The sound quality is excellent, as is the music of course. All of which (except for one tune) was composed by Monk. The album is accompanied by a superb sixty-pages booklet with extensive background articles and wonderful photographs, a true labor of love. Although the album offers compositions, which were recorded many times by various Monk’s groups, they are all unique, since obviously Monk’s Genius was demonstrated, among other qualities, also by his ability to introduce subtle nuances each and every time he played one of his tunes. Overall, this is a major discovery and a true celebration of one of the greatest Jazz figures, which deserves to be hear by every Jazz fan. Of course Monk has many devoted fans, who should find this release absolute essential. Not to be missed!

Updated: 17/05/2023Posted: 17/05/2023

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THELONIOUS MONK ~ THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA LIVE ALBUMS COLLECTION SONY 886979958029 (Barcode: 886979958029) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 - 1969 Released: 2015 This phenomenal Box Set includes all the live albums recorded by the iconic Jazz Master, pianist / composer Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist, and released on ColumbiaFind albums on this label Records. It comprises of five 2CD sets, with each of the sets presenting complete / expanded versions of albums, which originally included only parts of the recorded concerts and often were spread over more than one album. This set finally sorts out all the confusion about these recordings and puts things in their correct order and placement, and therefore is a truly momentous documentation of Monk´s work. Most of this amazing music was recorded within just two years, namely in 1963 and 1964, with just a few additional tracks recorded live at various locations between 1965 and 1969, which were originally part of the soundtrack of the documentary movie "Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser". Most of the music was recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Charlie RouseFind albums by this artist, bassist Butch WarrenFind albums by this artist and drummer Frankie DunlopFind albums by this artist (1963) or bassist Larry GalesFind albums by this artist and drummer Ben RileyFind albums by this artist (1964), with just one set recorded by a Big Band (well actually a tentet) with the 1963 quartet plus trumpeters Thad JonesFind albums by this artist and Nick TravisFind albums by this artist and saxophonists Eddie BertFind albums by this artist, Steve LacyFind albums by this artist, Phil WoodsFind albums by this artist and Gene AllenFind albums by this artist – a dreamy lineup by any respect. Considering the fact that this music was recorded basically within a very concise period of time, the basic material, i.e. the compositions used, is quite repetitive and some compositions are repeated several times (for example "Epistrophy" is performed thirteen times), which might have been a drawback but in fact turns out to be a blessing which allows us plainly to witness the Monk genius, with each and every version of the tune being different from every other version. The meaning of improvisation and the limitless power of the human mind are reflected within these sounds and captured for posterity. Overall this Box Set contains so much absolutely brilliant music that it weight could be measured in pure gold. There are no dull moments herein whatsoever and every note tells the story of Jazz and the prodigious talent of the Monk phenomenon, which knows no equals. It is a Bible of music, which should be studied by all those who call themselves Jazz musicians, and revered by Jazz fans of all ages. Hopefully this Box Set will expose this brilliant music to new generations of listeners the world over. Obviously this Box Set should become an essential part of every serious music collection, as it is eternal and timeless and will stay so as long as music matters.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: 07/02/2016

CD 10 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

MAL WALDRON ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1014 (Barcode: 8052405140401) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1986 - 1989 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the quintets led by legendary American pianist / composer Mal WaldronFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. Waldron needs no introduction to any serious Jazz connoisseur; suffice to say that his prolific output, recorded mostly in Europe, where he resided for over two decades, includes some of the most interesting Free Jazz and Jazz-World Fusion recordings. The music included here was performed by his two quintets; the first, which recorded the first two albums live at the Village Vanguard, included trumpeter Woody ShawFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Charlie RouseFind albums by this artist, bassist Reggie WorkmanFind albums by this artist and drummer Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist; the second, which recorded the studio tracks incorporated on the remaining two albums, included saxophonists Sonny FortuneFind albums by this artist and Rocky FordFind albums by this artist, Workman on bass again and drummer Eddie MooreFind albums by this artist. Remastered, mini-sleeved, and with a great bargain price – this Box Set an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

CD 4 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend