Thelonious Monk: Bremen 1965

   

      Every jazz performance is an event, because true improvisers never play anything the same way twice. So the appearance of Bremen 1965 by the Thelonious Monk quartet is a most welcome addition to the canon. Sure, the band is playing a fairly typical program of the period, but they are in an especially frisky frame of mind. Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, long regarded as the premier interpreter of Monk’s tunes is on hand. Bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley were about six months into their mutual tenure in the Monk quartet. Interestingly enough, they had already been working together, as members of the Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis/Johnny Griffin quintet in 1960 & 1961. That well-received band had a repertoire that featured a number of Monk compositions. The quintet even recorded an entire album of Monk tunes (Lookin’ At Monk, Jazzland) long before that was a fashionable concept. With this totally locked-in bass and drums team and Rouse blowing up a storm out in front, Monk, in an energetic mood, had the perfect ensemble to dig deeply into his original compositions plus a small helping of his favorite standards. His solo piano rendition of Don’t Blame Me is just one of the gems to be found here, ready to be savored again and again. The show in Bremen was their second stop on the quartet’s 1965 world tour, recorded by Radio Bremen in their own studio with a lively and enthusiastic audience. From my perspective, you can never have too many Monk albums, and Bremen 1965 is more than worthy to take its place on your Monk shelf. Totally recommended. 

Sunnyside SSC1634/1635 (also on vinyl); Charlie Rouse (ts) Thelonious Monk (p) Larry Gales (b) Ben Riley (d); Bremen, West Germany, March 8, 1965; Disc 1 (49:02): Criss Cross/ Sweet and Lovely/ Well You Needn’t/ Don’t Blame Me/ Epistrophy (I); Disc 2 (42:42): Just You, Just Me/ I’m Getting Sentimental Over You/ Rhythm-A-Ning/ Epistrophy (II). sunnysiderecords.com

Rahsaan Roland Kirk : Live in NY (1963) & Seattle (1967)

     Too many people thought at first that Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s multi-horn approach to Great Black Music was a gimmick. But if your ears are open and ready for his wildly enthusiastic stage presence and command of his various saxophones, you’ve come to the right place with Vibrations In The Village - Live At The Village Gate. Recorded over two late September nights in 1963, his quartet featured Henry Grimes on bass, Sonny Brown on drums, with no fewer than three different pianists (Horace Parlan, Melvin Rhyne, and Jane Getz) on hand. A glance at the selections will give you an idea of the range of Kirk’s material, heavy on the blues, with Charles Mingus’ Ecclusiastics, a couple of standards and originals in the mix. I’ve been a fan of Kirk’s since I heard his wonderful 1971 Atlantic album Natural Black Inventions:Root Strata when I bought a copy in 1974 because I liked the cover! I’m sorry that I never had a chance to catch him in performance, but we’re fortunate to have video of Kirk performances available. The music comes first though, and from the first bars of Jump Up and Down - Fast, you’ll happily be drawn into Kirk’s unique musical world. The presence of the excellent bassist Henry Grimes is another reason to pay close attention to the proceedings. The 32-page booklet in the CD version includes liner notes by John Kruth, reminiscences by Dorthaan Kirk, Rahsaan’s widow, pianist Jane Getz, trombonist Steve Turre, who played with Kirk in the Sixties, a short piece by biographer May K. Cobb, and Adam Dorn, whose father, the late Joel Dorn, was a huge Kirk fan who produced a number of his albums. We also get to read appreciations by saxophonists Chico Freeman and James Carter. Turre’s essay has this insightful quote from Rahsaah: “As far back as you can go, determine how far forward you can go. You got to know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going.” Vibrations In The Village offers more bright moments from the great Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and is seriously recommended. Resonance HCD-2081 (also on vinyl); Rahsaan Roland Kirk (ts, stritch, manzello, fl, vcl, whistles, etc.) Horace Parlan*, Melvin Rhyne**, or Jane Getz*** (p) Henry Grimes (b) Sonny Brown (d); NYC, September 26-27, 1963; Jump Up and Down - Fast*/ Ecclusiastics*/ All the Things You Are**/ Laura**/ Kirk’s Delight*/ Oboe Blues*/ Blues Minor at the Gate**/ Falling in Love With Love***/ Three For the Festival***; 77:35. 

    Equally recommended is Seek And Listen - Live At The Penthouse with Rahsaan Roland Kirk in a pair of broadcast performances from September 1967. By this point in his career, Kirk had a stable quartet with Rahn Burton on piano, Steve Novosel on bass, and Jimmy Hopps on drums. The repertoire has widened to include pop hits like Alfie and Ode to Billie Joe (!), the traditional spiritual Down By the Riverside, and the welcome inclusion of some Ellington tunes. The result is another gem from the era of live jazz on the radio, courtesy of the fine recording skills of Jim Wilke, and unearthed by the indefatigable Zev Feldman. The band is smoking from the opening blast of The Jump Thing. Then Kirk introduces the next tune, and there’s no stopping them after that. One crucial aspect of the Penthouse treasures released by Resonance is that these are real time performances, not stitched together like most studio sessions and many live recordings. Two gloriously exciting medleys conclude the first night’s proceedings. One week later, the quartet is back, leading off with the funkiest treatment of Ode to Billie Joe that you’re ever likely to hear, stretched out to just over 12 minutes. After a Prelude to a Kiss featuring Kirk like a one-man saxophone section, the rest of the set is devoted to four of Kirk’s original tunes. Funk Underneath is a flute feature, with his nose flute involved as well. Lovellevelliloqui is an upbeat burner, followed by the lovely ballad Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith, and ending up with Kirk singing the blues on Making Love After Hours. As any number of his associates will testify, you never knew what would happen next when Kirk and the band hit the stage. Here’s about an hour and a half of genuine surprises. The CD set’s 36-page booklet includes John Kruth’s liner notes, many of the pieces which appeared in the Village Gate recordings, with the addition of reminiscences of Penthouse owner’s son, Charlie Puzzo, Jr., engineer Jim Wilke, and bassist Novosel, who was on the road with Kirk for 3 years. Don’t miss it. Resonance HCD-2080 (also on vinyl); Rahsaan Roland Kirk (ts, fl, stritch, manzello, flexatone, siren, vcl, whistles, etc.) Rahn Burton (p) Steve Novosel (b) Jimmy Hopps (d); Seattle, WA, September 8 (Disc 1) & 15 (Disc 2), 1967; Disc 1 (41:43): The Jump Thing/ Alfie/ Mingus-Griff Song/ Medley: Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye; I’ve Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good); Sophisticated Lady; Satin Doll/ Medley: Blues for C & T; Happy Days are Here Again; Down by the Riverside. Disc 2 (44:55): Ode to Billie Joe/ Prelude to a Kiss/ Funk Underneath/ Lovellevelliloqui/ Now Please Don’t You Cry, Beautiful Edith/ Making Love After Hours. resonancerecords.org
 

The Music That Kept Me Going in 2025

 When I'm depressed after reading the news, this was the music of 2025 that brightened my days:

 New Releases

 Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quintet - Sound Remains (Whirlwind)
Fieldwork - Thereupon (Pi Recordings)
Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio - Dream A Dream (Libra)
Nicole Glover - Memories, Dreams, Reflections (Savant)
Fred Hersch - The Surrounding Green (ECM)
Jeong-Bisio Duo - Morning Bells Whistle Bright (ESP-Disk)
Joe Morris & Elliott Sharp - Realism (ESP-Disk)
John O’Gallagher - Ancestral (Whirlwind)
Linda May Han Oh - Strange Heavens (Biophilia)
Ivo Perelman + Matthew Shipp String Trio - Armageddon Flower (TAO Forms)
PlainsPeak - Someone To Someone (Irabbagast)
Matthew Shipp - The Cosmic Piano (Canteloupe Music)
Pat Thomas - Hikmah (TAO Forms)
Dan Weiss -  Unclassified Affections (Pi Recordings)
Sarah Wilson - Incandescence (Brass Tonics)

and From the Vaults
Kenny Dorham - Blue Bossa In The Bronx: Live From The Blue Morocco (Resonance)
Marco Eneidi Quintet - Wheat Fields Of Kleylehof (Botticelli/balance point acoustics)
Freddie Hubbard - On Fire: Live From The Blue Morocco (Resonance)
Charles Mingus - In Argentina - The Buenos Aires Concerts (Resonance)
Horace Silver Quintet - Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse (Blue Note)

And thanks as always to all the musicians, engineers, and publicity people!