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Thelonious Monk: Mønk
ByDunlop's snappy intro kick-starts the cheery "Bye-ya!," with Monk and Rouse introducing the melody in tandem before the saxophonist stretches out. The Washingtonian's extended improvisation is buoyed by Ore's walking bass, Dunlop's light but propulsive snare work and Monk's highly rhythmic accents. When it's Monk's turn, the pianist restates the theme before weaving a mesmerizing trail of jaunty motifs, roller-coaster glissandi, and spaces that are framed by block chords and bell-like, single note punctuations. In Monk's exploratory language reside seeds that have flourished in pianists from Ahmad Jamal to Jason Moran, not to mention a thousand others in between.
The format is, even for the time, conventional. Apart from a fascinating solo piano rendition of "Body and Soul," the pattern is pretty much repeated on "Nutty" and "Monk's Dream," with heads providing the launching pads for Monk and Rouse improvisations. The tenor player's slightly raspy, fulsome sound traces linear melodic paths, in contrast to Monk's less predictable dance steps. Yet despite their chalk-and-cheese musical personalities the feel here is of connected musical souls giving full rein to their individualism. Rouse played with Monk for a decade and Monk's unique comping was arguably most compelling when stoking the saxophonist's fires. The pianist's single notes, falling like random raindrops during Rouse' solo on "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" cast a particularly curious spell.
Binding it all together are the excellent Ore and Dunlop. In the liner notes, Ethan Iverson lavishes praise on the duo, hailing them as "one of the great rhythm sections" and they swing the four quartet numbers mightily. Neither gets to solo here, which is a pity, as you suspect they have plenty more to say. Both Monk and Rouse have asteroids named after them and it would be fitting if the bassist and drummer, two unsung heroes of the latter half of twentieth century jazz, were to receive a similar accolade.
It's the unaccompanied piano reading of "Body and Soul," however, that seems to stop time. Monk's caressing of the melody exudes a gentle melancholy, as though playing for nobody but himself, while his mazy, softly spun logic draws you ever deeper inside the tune and into Monk's compelling universeso playful, so tender. So Monk.
Track Listing
Bye-ya!; Nutty; I’m Getting Sentimental Over You; Body and Soul; Monk’s Dream.
Personnel
Thelonious Monk
pianoThelonious Monk: piano; Charlie Rouse: tenor saxophone; Frankie Dunlop: drums; John Ore: double bass.
Album information
Title: Mønk | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Gearbox Records
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