[Dixielandjazz] Petters on Monk

[macjazz]

If you can find the Blakey tape with a very young pair of the Marsalis 
brothers, it is worth it just for the very nice, long set on Gershwin's tune 
"My ship."  The song was never my favorite before I heard this set.  I went 
out and purchased the DVD and do play it on a regular basis.

Mart

Martin D. McKay, (Designated Listener)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen G Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "Martin D. McKay" <macjazz at comcast.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2009 4:30 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Petters on Monk


>> john petters <jdpetters at btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>> Just enjoying the Thelonius Monk Quartet on BBC 4 after not enjoying  the
>> preceeding show by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers.
>> I do not like Hard Bop and Blakey's set lacked melodic structure for  the
>> most part.
>> No wonder the rock and rollers ousted the jazzers in the '50s.
>>
>> Monk on the other hand is a different kettle of fish.
>>
>> I have always liked Monk and I think the reason is that he plays tunes
>> and they are simple, economic and make sense. He clearly owes more to
>> Ellington than he does to Parker.
>>
>> Listening to his rhythm section with Ben Riley on drums, and it is
>> apparent that this is not a million miles away from what most on this
>> list would call OKOM. Or am I just becoming a dirty bopper?
>> Nice to see a young Humph compereing the show.
>> Have a good weekend.
>
> Hey John and other Monk lovers.
>
> Nice to see OKOMers appreciating Monk. And why not, he owes a lot to 
> James P. Johnson. Monk grew up just a block or two from JPJ and 
> acknowledged his friendship and  influence more than a few times  during 
> his life. In fact, when Monk played "Functional"  a slow blues  with a lot 
> of slow stride left hand if you haven't heard it) Monk  would often say 
> "Sounds just like JP doesn't it" with that little  chuckle of his. It is, 
> for me, a wonderful adaptation of Monk's unique  harmony and that strong, 
> traditional left hand.
>
> You can hear it at: (Wait for it to load in the upper right hand corner)
>
> http://www.last.fm/music/Thelonious+Monk/_/Functional
>
> Trombonist Roswell Rudd is  another guy who had fun with Monk tunes  and 
> for a few years presented a show called "Monksieland" which was a  sort of 
> cross genre sort of thing.
>
> My band plays a few Monk tunes in Dixieland style. Among them are 
> "Hackensack" (same chords as "Lady Be Good"), "Blue Monk" "Nutty" and 
> "Let's Cool One".
>
> Like you say John, he doesn't owe much to Parker at all. IMO, he went  his 
> own way based on the Trad Jazz that went before him.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
> www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband
>
>
>
>
>
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