Label: Columbia
Recorded around 1964 at a live date in California.
Released March 26, 1996.
Jazz
Ask me, and I’ll tell you Live at the It Club is Monk’s best record. The latest two-disc version restores virtually everything recorded over two nights at the L.A. spot, and I dare anyone to find a 15-second stretch that doesn’t inspire. Naming just one highlight is an impossible task, so why not start at the beginning, with an 11-minute take of “Blue Monk,” which happens to be one of my favorite pieces to play on my own piano. Monk’s oeuvre is so small that he recorded a handful of compositions over and over, and yet he still found new things to say each time through. Here his explorations are deep and wide, and he brings out the best in his bandmates, which is the most we can ask of any leader.
By Steve Greenlee. Jazz.Com
**
This album was recorded around 1964 at a live date in California. The personnel features Monk’s quartet of the time consisting of the underrated Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Giles on bass, and Ben Riley on drums. This is a solid live date that features some spirited soloing from Rouse, (check out his solo on “Hackensack”), as well as Monk’s classic off center sense of harmony, and his jagged, angular soloing (”Light Blue” is fine example). Gales and Riley each produce not only as rock solid rythm section but with their capable soloing throughout. As a unit the band is seamless, familiar with each other and the material. At times the sound quality suffers from source degredation and occational hissing and popping, but nothing too excessive. Overall this is a good live performance by Monk and his quartet, worth the investment in musical quality as well as quantity, (only “Ruby, My Dear” is under 10 minutes). A gem for Monk fans hungry for more.
**
Thelonious Monk- Piano,
Charlie Rouse- Tenor,
Larry Giles- Bass,
Ben Riley- Drums.
**
01. Hackensack 11:07
02. Light Blue 11:02
03. Evidence 11:46
04. Blue Monk 11:49
05. Jackie-Ing 10:11
06. Ruby My Dear 8:45
*
NoPassword
*
DLink
*
No comments:
Post a Comment