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OJC Piano Greatness: Thelonious Monk & Bill Evans
by C. Andrew Hovan
Having been a source of quality reissues back when vinyl was still king, it is fitting that the Original Jazz Classics series has returned now that the vinyl renaissance continues to carry on full-force among the music-buying public. Now in its second full year of releases, Craft Recordings continues to mine its impressive back catalog for reissues that cover a good deal of ground while offering quality and value to boot. Thelonious Monk Thelonious Himself
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk, John Coltrane: Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane 1957. Revisited.
by Stefano Merighi
Ci sono sodalizi artistici che segnano in maniera indelebile la ricchezza creativa dei protagonisti. Tra questi, di sicuro quello tra Thelonious Monk e John Coltrane, anno di grazia 1957. L'estroso pianista e compositore, ancora lontano dal ricevere i riconoscimenti meritati, trova finalmente qualcuno che interpreta le sue partiture con rara dialettica esecutiva: leggerezza e profondità, acume sottile e abbandono istintivo. L'apollineo sassofonista, all'epoca ancora turbato dalla tossicodipendenza, passa dalla frustrazione di un licenziamento da parte di ...
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk: Monk's Mood
by Geno Thackara
Thelonious Himself (Riverside, 1957) was a perfectly suitable title for a solo album showcasing the quirky essence of Thelonious Monk. It may forever be a mystery as to why he and/or producer Orrin Keepnews saw fit to add other players for the very last track, but whether it was out of place or not, we can be thankful to have another example of him playing alongside John Coltrane during their legendary but too-little-documented stint working together. Wilbur Ware contributes only ...
Continue ReadingWorth the Wait!
by Troy Hoffman
Many historical, live jazz performances have graced the past and thankfully were caught on recording; being released shortly after. For example, Art Blakey Quintet's A Night at Birdland, which is regarded as one of the best live jazz shows ever recorded. The performance is from the winter of 1954, and it was soon released on record that coming fall. That seemed to be the average turnaround time for a live jazz record in those transformative years. Certain live recordings, however, ...
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk: Celebrating 75 Years Of His First Recordings Revisited
by Stefano Merighi
Affrontare oggi queste pagine monkiane significa non solo riconsiderare l'importanza cruciale di un repertorio senza tempo, ma provare proprio un'ebbrezza dell'ascolto difficilmente eguagliabile. Thelonious Monk marchia a fuoco con la sua personalità tutta un'epoca del jazz che è quella rivoluzionaria del bebop--nonché quella “riformista" dell'hard bop--e stabilisce molte delle coordinate che ispirano la migliore musica africana-americana di oggi, sia di orientamento free che di stampo armonico progressive. In questo caso, la collana ezz-thetics realizza un'operazione davvero interessante, assemblando ...
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk: With John Coltrane 1957 Revisited
by Chris May
Once again, the ezz-thetics label has taken some of the finest artefacts of mid-twentieth-century US jazz and sonically restored them, bringing an unprecedented level of clarity, precision and presence. It is no exaggeration to say that the Swiss-based label's work can be compared with the restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel during the 1980s, both in terms of the quality of the original material and the artistry with which the renovation has been executed. The ...
Continue ReadingThelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners
by Richard J Salvucci
Writing about being “lost for words" is not the ideal way of starting a review, but it may be the plain truth. Perhaps Thelonious Monk is an acquired taste. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, this particular release of Brilliant Corners is just that--brilliant.The whole package is superb and really defines Craft Recordings “Small Batch" vinyl series. The technical literature accompanying the recording says “Each edition is cut from its original analog tapes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on ...
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