Monk Music

by | Jul 18, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

PLEASE NOTE: This will be the last new weekly posting on the site until mid to late September, at which time we expect to resume business as usual.  In the meanwhile, please be sure to explore the many other features on our website, especially the more than 4 years of great PAST PERFORMANCES dating all the way back to February of 2017.  Thank you for visiting and especially for following Mark Of Jazz.com.

In April 1966 Thelonious Monk and his quartet performed a live television concert in Oslo, Norway.  The quartet included Monk playing piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, Larry Gales playing bass and Ben Riley on drums. They performed a number of Monk standards including Blue Monk (Above) and Monk’s own ‘Round Midnight (Below).  Monk’s playing style is positively unique, using sparse voicings and omitting notes to add dissonance.  His music is almost its own genre, often seeming to inhabit its own musical universe.  Thelonious is something of an acquired taste … one well worth acquiring!

Bossa Nova – Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

by | Jul 9, 2021 | Orchestral, Vocal

In 1967 Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim recorded a spectacular album together that was nominated for an album of the year Grammy, best male pop vocal and best vocal performance.  The music was arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman, accompanied by a studio orchestra.  Here is a medley from that album by the two artists in a wonderfully relaxed setting … exactly the way Bossa Nova is most naturally presented:  Corcovado, Change Partners, I Concentrate On You, and Jobim’s own The Girl From Ipanema.

Jitterbug Waltz / Old Folks – Bobby Hutcherson

by | Jul 3, 2021 | Quartet/Quintet

In 2007 at Jazz Baltica, Bobby Hutcherson and his quartet introduced their exciting arrangement of Fats Waller’s Jitterbug Waltz to the audience in Salzau, Germany.  The players were Bobby on vibes, Joe Gilman playing piano, Dwayne Burno on bass and Eddie Marshall at the drums.  The complete 1 hour 25 minute concert is available on YouTube.

On Old Folks, Hutcherson added Joe Locke, also on vibes … rounding out a quintet with Don Friedman on piano, Martin Wind on bass, and Andi Haberl playing drums.