Monk Time

Going back to the 27th of October 1968, the day Monk and his band (Charlie Rouse on tenor, Larry Gales on bass, Ben Riley behind the drums) played a one-off highschool gig in the Californian town of Palo Alto. The school janitor tuned Monk's piano, and was allowed to tape the concert in return: by far the coolest anecdote I heard this month. And needless to say, the music's not too shabby either.

Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk (live Palo Alto '68)

Blood & Wealth

The famous FTSOTS end of year list will be with you shortly, but let's get the old stuff out of the way first. Here are the reissues and compilations of the year, in all their raging glory. Out of a ton of goodies, and with exclusive fine art by Tinca, I picked the following.

1. John Coltrane - Both Directions At Once: The Lost Album
2. Bob Dylan - More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14
3. Neil Young - Roxy: Tonight's The Night Live
4. Thelonious Monk - Mønk (Live In Copenhagen '63)
5. Van Morrison - Live In Boston '72
6. Grateful Dead - Pacific Northwest '73-'74: Believe It If You Need It
7. v/a - Basement Beehive: The Girl Group Underground
8. The Louvin Brothers - Love And Wealth: The Lost Recordings
9. Songs: Ohia - Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions
10. v/a - Black Man's Pride 2: Righteous Are The Sons And Daughters Of Jah

John Coltrane - Untitled Original 11386 (Take 1)

Very Gøød Indeed

Lovingly restored from tapes found in a London dumpster: a 1963 Monk gig in Copenhagen’s Old Fellow Palæet. With more than a little help from trusted sidekicks Charlie Rouse (sax), John Ore (bass) and Frankie Dunlop (drums), this is pure Monk genius at work.

Thelonious Monk - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

Monk Time

Monk's first trip across the Atlantic, to Paris in the hot summer of 1957, produced his first ever solo piano recording. Which is a prime example of being totally immersed in your own playing, oblivious to the world.

Thelonious Monk - Off Minor

Bill & Gil

Some more jazz? Why not. Gil plays Monk, featuring Johnny Coles on trumpet. Now that's a warm bath alright. Meanwhile, his namesake Bill sure knows what to do with a Gershwin standard.

Gil Evans - Straight No Chaser
Bill Evans - My Man's Gone Now

Give Thanks

Wanna drool? Then check out the quite unbelievable line-up of 1957's Thanksgiving Concert in New York's famous Carnegie Hall. At this fundraiser for the Morningside Community Center in Harlem, the Thelonious Monk Quartet featuring John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Chet Baker with the Zoot Sims Quartet, and Sonny Rollins all appeared. The most expensive tickets were priced $3,95. Those were the days, huh? Monk & Trane sure were in fine form that night by the way. Here's proof.

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - Evidence

So Alone

Some days, all you need is Monk, alone behind the piano. Q.E.D.

Thelonious Monk - Memories Of You
Thelonious Monk - I Hadn't Anyone Till You

Look See

"Plain as your eyes can see, read what the sign says..." So stop, look, and listen, mi amigos da musica.

Jim Sullivan - Plain As Your Eyes Can See

Plush - Three-quarters Blind Eyes
Ed Askew - Little Eyes
Thelonious Monk - There's Danger In Your Eyes, Cherie (take 2)
Warne Marsh - Smog Eyes
John Coltrane - The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

Straight Life

"I wanna be straight, I wanna be straight, I'm sick and tired of taking drugs and staying up late..." Following up on a conversation with faithful reader Holly in the post below this one, here's a fun showdown between messrs. Richman and Dury. And as a chaser: a hot quartet of not so straight jazz cuts.

The Modern Lovers - I'm Straight

Ian Dury & The Blockheads - I Wanna Be Straight

Art Pepper - Straight Life

Thelonious Monk - Straight No Chaser

Hank Mobley - Straight No Filter

Cannonball Adderley Quintet - Straight Life

Wild Weekend Vol. 7

Wild Weekend is here again, featuring the iPod as the rebellious jukebox of modern times. The shuffle mode decides which sixpack of songs you´re gonna get. Variety´s the name of the game. Check it out, y´all.

First we go back to 1958, with a rockabilly scorcher by Sammy Gowans. Sammy finds himself rockin´ all alone, "wigglin´ like a wigglin´ dove", until he finds somebody new... Some really wild guitar work here. Want more? Get Cat Talk, a dynamite compilation of obscure sides from the great Imperial label. Fast forward now to 1991, and the triphop gospel according to Massive Attack. One Love stems from the still stunning Blue Lines album and features Jamaican nightingale Horace Andy on vocals. A classic.

Sammy Gowans - Rockin´ By Myself MP3

Massive Attack - One Love MP3

"That token draw on your cigarette, that well-known face in the fire..." That´s Peter Hammill, one of the few prog rockers I can stand. For a good overview of his post Van Der Graaf Generator work, the Love Songs compilation is a wonderful place to start. Next up: Monk. Need I say more? There were many amazing piano players in jazz, but no one is as special in my book as the man called Thelonious. Here he´s doing his thing alone in San Francisco. Do I hear jaws drop? Good.

Peter Hammill - Ophelia MP3

Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk MP3

The Deal sisters travel a country road in this melancholy Breeders gem from Last Splash. Carrie Bradley shines on fiddle. Drivin´ On 9 is a cover of ultra-obscure Youngstown, Ohio band Ed's Redeeming Qualities. I´ve never heard the original, so if anyone can help out I´d be much obliged. And as a grand finale, here´s the black & white pride of Coventry. I read somewhere that the Specials are touring again at the moment, but I´m glad I caught the 2 Tone experience back when Jerry Dammers & co. were still in their prime. Those where the days, rude boys and girls.

The Breeders - Drivin´ On 9 MP3

The Specials - Blank Expression MP3