I always thought that was the lyric of jazz rock fusion band Steely Dan on their song Midnight Cruiser. It's not, it's Felonious my old friend. Nevertheless, if you like jazz, you might make the same mistake yourself. After all, Thelonious Monk is to the jazz piano what John Coltrane is to the saxophone, or Miles Davis to the trumpet.
Thelonious Monk had a long career as a jazz piano player. This is one of his classic albums from the period that he was at Columbia Records. It was released in 1967.
Songs
This remaster contains the original songs:
Locomotive / I Didn't Know About You / Straight No Chaser / Japanese Folk Song / Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea / We See and This is My Story, This is my Song.
It also contains the previously unissued I Didn't Know About You and Green Chimneys.
Musicians
Although Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and This is my Story, This is My Song are just piano, for the remainder of the tracks Monk's musicians are Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums.
My Thoughts
If I had to pick only a few adjectives to describe the music herein, I would pick Light. Airy. Happy. It isn't a dense sounding jazz, the music just floats out of the speakers in a happy relaxed manner, although it isn't what I would call mellow. The music makes me feel like I don't have a care in the world. Like most of jazz, the drums and bass do little more than keep the beat here, but that's okay. Monk and Rouse keep the melody flowing with sax in one ear and piano in the other.
On the first song, Locomotive for example, Monk starts off with a very simple piano riff, yet it is fun. Then the drums come in and the bass boom shhh boom shhh (the booms the drums the shhh the ring of the cymbals) and the dum dum dum of the bass line. Then in comes the sax imitating and repeating the piano riff, and then playing off it and going out on its own. Then you hear the occasional few notes by Monk, notable as much for where they are NOT as for where they are. As the sax stops, Monk starts in again with the simple melody, expanded just slightly. After a while back comes the sax, expanding the melody further now together with the piano. I challenge you to listen to this song and try to be in a bad mood. It is not possible.
I Didn't Know About You has a bit more of a romantic feel to it, slower, a bit moody, but not melancholy. Again, it is Monks use of simple melodys and sparse notes that draws you into the song. On occasion, you can hear faintly in the background some distant growling or moaning or something. I had to turn my system up and listen hard, I thought I was hearing things at first. It was Monk! While he plays he occasionally moans or grunts, and although it is faint, you can hear him if you listen closely!
Straight, No Chaser sounds like a swing tune performed by four instead of a full swing orchestra.
Thats it for track by track! I really enjoy this album, it will give you an appreciation for the jazz pianist known simply as Monk.
Sound Quality
For a 1967 recording, this sounds terrific. Very little hiss and excellent separation. I felt like I was in the studio with the drums and bass to my right, sax to the center, and Monk himself right on the piano in front of me. I could close my eyes reach forward and touch that grand piano. Listen close, you will hear Monk humming and howling in the background as he plays.
Summary
Overall, this album makes me feel good. I really love the piano and sax melodies on it, and whenever I am down, this is an album that brings me back up again. So if you are feeling blue, my prescription is Monk Straight No Chaser!
An easy five stars!
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