Retrospective 002: Thelonious Monk

Earlier this year, there came a surprise release of newly uncovered and prepared and packaged recordings by Thelonious Monk.

You can hear the tunes over at bandcamp. Where it states:

Hot on the heels of Impulse’s recently unearthed Coltrane number one hit album comes another beauty from Jazz’s ‘Holy Trinity’. This is a previously unreleased, precious lost treasure from Monk’s most critically acclaimed line-up; Charlie Rouse on saxophone, John Ore on double bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. The music was recorded live in Copenhagen in 1963 at the peak of Monk’s career. A year later he was to feature on the cover of TIME magazine, one of only for 4 Jazz artists ever to do so.

The performance, a mixture of Monk originals and interpretations of standards, showcases Monk at his prime: full of avant-garde flair and wit, but always with a swinging feel that explains his title as the ‘High Priest of Bebop’.

The original tapes, saved from a skip and blessed with the approval of the Monk estate, have been faithfully restored, mastered and cut using Gearbox’s legendary all-analogue process.

Line-up

Thelonious Monk – piano
Charlie Rouse – tenor saxophone
John Ore – double bass
Frankie Dunlop – drums

Released September 28, 2018

Here are two Radio Free Amsterdam shows from the archive which feature the music of Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners by David Kunian, and Thelonious by John Sinclair. Enjoy.

–Steve Fly

JAZZ LUNATIQUE 159: BRILLIANT CORNERS

David Kunian is playing another hour’s worth of Thelonious Monk compositions as played by other artists including the Jason Moran Trio, Dizzy Gillespie, Fred Hersch & His Trio, Wadada Leo Smith, Larry Young & Elvin Jones, Chris Spedding, Mark Bingham, Cecil Taylor, Jonathan Batiste, and the Miles Davis Sextet.

The John Sinclair Foundation Presents

BRILLIANT CORNERS

JAZZ LUNATIQUE 159

David Kunian, WWOZ-FM, New Orleans, November 14, 2017 [18028]

Egg Yolk Jubilee: A Call For All Demons

Jason Moran Trio: Crepescule With Nellie

Dizzy Gillespie: Dizzy Atmosphere

Fred Hersch & His Trio: Booboo’s Borthday

Wadada Leo Smith: Solo Reflections & Meditations on Monk

Larry Young & Elvin Jones: Monk’s Dream

Chris Spedding: Work

Mark Bingham: Brilliant Corners

Cecil Taylor: Bemsha Swing

Jonathan Batiste: Straight No Chaser

Miles Davis Sextet: Straight No Chaser

A JOINT PRODUCTION

Hosted by David Kunian for Radio Free Amsterdam

Produced & recorded by David Kunian at WWOZ-FM, New Orleans

Post-production, editing & annotation by John Sinclair

Executive Producer: Steve Pratt

JOHN SINCLAIR RADIO SHOW 778: THELONIOUS

Episode 778 is coming from the Detroit studios of Radio Free Amsterdam in the Cass Corridor in celebration of the 101st birthday of Thelonious Monk with some early recordings by Monk, a poem of mine, cuts from Dave McMurray’s new Blue Note Records album, and three by Yusef Lateef as performed by McMurray at the Wright Museum of African American History earlier this month.

The John Sinclair Foundation Presents

THELONIOUS

JOHN SINCLAIR RADIO SHOW 778

Advantage Living Center, Warren MI, October 24, 2018 [18561]

Yusef Lateef: Happyology

John Sinclair: fly right

Thelonious Monk: Thelonious

Thelonious Monk: Well You Needn’t

Thelonious Monk: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

Thelonious Monk: Bye-Ya

Thelonious Monk: Epistrophy

Dave McMurray: Detroit Theme/Detroit 3