Favorite Monk playing (not compositions)

[Guy Berger]

I'm trying to pay more attention to Monk's playing these days, and was wondering what your favorite Monk playing/improvisations are? Individual tracks, not albums. (We all know his compositions are great.)

For starters, how about the version of "The Man I Love" from Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants where Monk starts out his solo by playing the melody at half-time (relative to the rhythm section), stops in the middle, and then after a nudge from Miles, he finishes with an incredibly inspired run of ideas.

I'm looking forward to listening to your recommendations.

Guy

ps Bonus: If there are any tracks that you feel feature unusually inspired comping by Monk, include them as well!

Edited February 27, 2007 by Guy

[JSngry]

"Little Rootie Tootie" & "Work", both on Prestige.

[Chuck Nessa]

For starters - Misterioso (1948 BN) and The Man I Love (1954 Prestige).

[Sundog]

A couple that come to mind immediately.

I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) from Monk Plays Ellington Ellington's songs are really well suited to varied interpretations including Monk's. One of my all time favorites. Needs no explanation to appreciate.

Rhythm-A-Ning from Monk In Paris

Extremely twisted solo, and I mean that in the best possible way. Nice arc to the overall solo, starts busy with a lot of forward motion and gradually becomes more sparse and stripped down, with just a few jabs at chords. Ends with a forceful thump of a chord which sounds like a door slamming. When your done, your done right?

[Spontooneous]

An absolutely archetypal solo on "Well You Needn't" on "Live at the It Club."

A lot of the playing on "Live in Tokyo."

[Larry Kart]

"Little Rootie Tootie" ... on Prestige.

Not ready to swear it's my favorite, but I loved it the first time I heard it and every time since; never loses its freshness. The Prestige "Blue Monk" is damn good too. And "These Foolish Things" is just nutty -- what a great choice of tempo.

[Free For All]

Solo version of "Tea For Two". Really great stuff.

[brownie]

Current favorites:

'Crepuscule With Nellie' (from 'Monk's Music')

'I Love You'(Sweetheart of All My Dreams) (from 'Monk' on Columbia)

[sidewinder]

Always been a big fan of his trio version of 'It Don't Mean A Thing..'. A totally new perspective on that well worn classic !

Edited February 27, 2007 by sidewinder

[mikeweil]

Any of the big band tracks on Big Band and Quartet in Concert - both solos (sometimes he almost leaps forward aurally to start his solo) and comping - and where he lays out, which is an important part of his comping.

Edited February 27, 2007 by mikeweil

[JohnS]

I've just been playing Monk and the Jazz Messengers, that takes some beating.

[B. Goren.]

If you are talking about Individual tracks and you really like "The Man I Love", you must listen to his solo recordings from 1971 in London. My favorite version of this composition. If I remember correctly, you can find it on Volume 3 of this 3 CDs set (Black Lion).

[Stereojack]

I'll third "Little Rootie Tootie".

I also love "Lulu's Back In Town" on It's Monk's Time, and "Black and Tan Fantasy" on Monk Plays Ellington.

[jazzbo]

I'm with Jack especially on Lulu!

Also, almost all the Blue Note material I've come to see as fantastic start to finish; I'm with Chuck on loving Misterioso and I love many other performances there.

[jostber]

I have many favourites with these on my list right now:

Monk's mood (Blue Note)

Dinah (Solo Monk)

Round Midnight (Monk's Blues)

In Orbit (In Orbit)

Sophisticated Lady (Plays Duke Ellington)

Darkness on the Delta (Big Band)

Edited February 27, 2007 by jostber

[Scott Dolan]

Count me as another who's a big fan of Lulu's Back In Town!

I would say my all time favorite is Functional from the album Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. What an unbelievable tune!!

And it's nice to see some of his Columbia work being mentioned here. Some folks seem to dismiss that period far to easily.

[John L]

The way Monk soloed on Rhythm A Ning was really a trip. Monk must of liked what he was doing himself, as he repeated the same approach at many different concerts.

I listened to the 1961 Stockholm concert not long ago, and was epecially struck (again) by Monk's solo on Jackie-ing.

Monk could play incredible solos on anything.

[gslade]

I'm thinking Ugly Beauty (cant rememeber the take) on underground, one of the takes really struck me as very cool.

It hard to say a favorite as I love just about everything mentioned (and many others not)

[Scott Dolan]

And not necessarily for the solo, but the theme of Ruby, My Dear has always been one of my favorites.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I love his comping on 'Friday 13th' with Rollins and Julius Watkins.

[ep1str0phy]

As someone who was introduced to Monk through his Columbia recordings, I have a few favorites of that later vintage... the "master" solo takes of Ruby, My Dear and Round Midnight are a big reason why I'm in this music. Also, count me as a fan of Live at the It Club and Underground. And then there's Straight, No Chaser, which few people seem to like, but which I feel contains some of his strongest studio work in later years (his comping/articulation behind Charlie Rouse on "Locomotive" is unbelievable).

Edited February 27, 2007 by ep1str0phy

[John Tapscott]

Never having seen Monk play I am particularly fascinated by his playing on the recent Jazz Icons DVD. Somehow it's given me a whole new appreciation of his playing. (Not that I didn't enjoy it before but this is priceless!)

Edited February 28, 2007 by John Tapscott

[Don Brown]

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes has always knocked me out.

[Don Brown]

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes has always knocked me out.

[Scott Dolan]

Never having seen Monk play I am particularly fascinated by his playing on the recent Jazz Icons DVD. Somehow it's given me a whole new appreciation of his playing. (Not that I didn't enjoy it before but this is priceless!)

When I type on the keyboard I resemble Monk quite a bit. Fingers a flyin, elbows all over the place, hesitation, adamant outburst of strange words.....

Edited February 28, 2007 by Scott Dolan