Monk: Complete Last Recordings [Cardboard Sleeve (mini LP)]

[mjzee]

I've been intrigued by this listing from CDJapan.  Does anyone have information about it?  Specifically, is it legit?  Are they new masterings?  The description says: Reissue in cardboard sleeve packaging. Comes with a bonus track "Trinkle Tinkle (take 1)."

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MZCB-1365?s_ssid=e4cdf5ab29e19bd64

[HutchFan]

mjzee,

That set appears to be a reissue of this 3-disc set on Black Lion:

The music was recorded on November 15, 1971, and the Black Lion issue (at least) is legit. 

It almost goes without saying that the music is wonderful. Half of it is solo and the other half is a trio with Al McKibbon and Art Blakey.

I don't know whether the Japanese reissue is remastered.

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by HutchFan

[gmonahan]

Which, in turn, is the material issued by Mosaic some years ago on their complete Black Lion/Vogue 3-cd set.

 

 

gregmo

[mjzee]

Can anyone read Japanese to know which company issued the new version, or is there info on another Japanese site?  The presence of a newly-discovered track would seem to indicate that these are from the original master tapes, but would like to know for certain.

[HutchFan]

15 minutes ago, mjzee said:

Can anyone read Japanese to know which company issued the new version, or is there info on another Japanese site?  The presence of a newly-discovered track would seem to indicate that these are from the original master tapes, but would like to know for certain.

Just an aside:  I don't think that "Tinkle Tinkle [take 1]" is actually being issued for the first time in that Japanese set.  According to discogs -- https://www.discogs.com/Thelonious-Monk-The-Complete-London-Collection/release/4851138 -- that cut is on the third CD (all alternate takes) in the Black Lion set.

[mjzee]

According to tower.jp, this is released by MUSAK/blacklion.  Here's Musak's homepage: http://www.muzak.co.jp, and here's an additional page: http://www.muzak.co.jp/label/blacklion/.  If they have the rights to release these labels, then the Monk may have been remastered from the original tapes.  Some have disparaged the sound quality of the 1201 Music reissues.

[HutchFan]

O.K.  Then it's very possible that audio quality is better on the new Japanese set.   

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, mjzee said:

Can anyone read Japanese...

Google Translate does a good job of faking it, I guess:

Complete Last Recordings / Thelonious Monk
Jazz · Giants, Thelonias Monk's Last Studio Recording is the long-awaited reply for the first time in 20 years! 
The master of jazz piano, Seronius Monk celebrating 100 years of birth in 2017, was in Europe during the fall of 1971 
A valuable session that remains in the history of jazz which contained the full picture of the last studio recording by solo and trio 
at London's chapel studio. 
Upon recurrence this time it was the 50th anniversary of my founding that was a 50th anniversary of 
founding Shinjuku's own jazz tea ceremony "DUG" owner and a wonderful photographer Mr. Hozumi Nakahira 
famous for his jazz and photographer as a jazz photographer 
The double paper jacket specification released separately for covering. 
Truckle Tinkle (Take 1) which had not been recorded at the time of last time was added as a bonus track additionally.

[xybert]

My copy arrived yesterday. 

Haven't listened all the way through (Roscoe Mitchell's Ride The Wind also arrived yesterday and... wow) but sound is good to my ears, certainly no complaints (i haven't heard previous releases to compare, sorry).

Packaging is typical Japanese-excellent: gatefold mini LP-style, made from quality card stock, comes in a plastic resealable sleeve, CDs are housed safely in 'cloth' sleeves. 

Took a couple of pictures. There's a booklet but apart from song titles it's all in Japanese. No mention of remaster from what i can see.

If you're like me and don't/didn't have these recordings, i highly recommend.

 

 

 

 

[mjzee]

Thanks, xybert!!

[sonnymax]

8 hours ago, gmonahan said:

Which, in turn, is the material issued by Mosaic some years ago on their complete Black Lion/Vogue 3-cd set.

Any opinions on the sound quality of the Mosaic set?

[Misterioso]

1 hour ago, sonnymax said:

Any opinions on the sound quality of the Mosaic set?

Very good. To answer your question, I just listened to Criss Cross from this set again. Digital masters were made from original master tapes. 

Edited March 22, 2018 by Misterioso

[Clunky]

1 hour ago, Misterioso said:

Very good. To answer your question, I just listened to Criss Cross from this set again. Digital masters were made from original master tapes. 

The London sessions sound excellent on the Mosaic. The Paris 1954 solo sessions sounds very murky compared to the Vogue CD issued over a decade ago. That CD in turn has been significantly better by the most recent reissue which adds extra tracks but has much better sound

[Gheorghe]

But not his last recorded documents.

I think the very last "recorded" Monk was 1975 the quartet with Paul Jeffrey, Larry Ridley and Monk jr. .

One year later Monk performed for the last time but I don´t think it was recorded.

[king ubu]

Seems this is making a reappearance, was completely unaware of it until a few minutes ago...

http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MZCB-1390?utm_source=MAIL&utm_medium=text-genre&utm_campaign=Jazz-20191023-genre-MZCB-1390

[mjzee]

If this is the Japanese edition I bought last year (see cover below), jump on it if you don't already have this music.  Monk was alive, lively and fresh that day.  Al McKibbon and Art Blakey, c'mon!  Great sound, fully licensed from Black Lion.

[king ubu]

I am thinking of doing so ... got this on three old Black Lion/DA Music Discs.

[king ubu]

Trying to figure this out once again (didn't buy the Japanese set yet) - are there 29 or 30 tracks in total? What's the deal with "Introspection (tk 2)", said to be on the Mosaic set?

The Japanese set has 29 tracks, the three Black Lion discs add up to 29 tracks.

Mosaic is missing four of those (all on Vol. 3 of the Black Lion CDs): Evidence (tk 1), Crepuscule with Nellie (tk 3), Nutty (tk 1), Introspection (tk 3).

My assumption is (though I don't know!) that the commonly labeled (tk 3) of "Introspection" is labeled (tk 2) on the Mosaic (and thus they miss only three titles). Did anyone ever figure this out?

[mikeweil]

Check here: https://jazzdiscography.com/Artists/thelonious-monk/thelonious-monk-discography.php#sess-year_1971

There are 30 takes, according to this well researched discography.

Edited December 29, 2022 by mikeweil

[mjzee]

Introspection (Take 2) is not on the Japanese set.

11 hours ago, king ubu said:

My assumption is (though I don't know!) that the commonly labeled (tk 3) of "Introspection" is labeled (tk 2) on the Mosaic (and thus they miss only three titles). Did anyone ever figure this out?

Per Mike's link, they have different timings: take 2 is 3:03, take 3 is 3:07.  However, it would be odd that Mosaic would leave off take 3, or that they were the only label to have take 2.

[king ubu]

Oh, wow, never found that Monk discography yet - seems new? (Nov. 22) - thanks @mikeweil and @mjzee -- and yeah, agreed this is weird!

[Gheorghe]

I have thought the last recordings were later. 

I think I have somewhere a maybe not really legit recording of two different live sessions.

One from late 1972 at the Village Vanguard with Paul Jeffrey, Dave Holland and Tootie , which is very very fine .

And one is from Newport 1975 I think, with Larry Ridley on bass I think. 

Both suffer a bit of bad sound quality, and maybe at least in my personal opinion Paul Jeffrey didn´t fit as well in the Monk context like others before. Too bad there is no recording evidence of the time when Pat Patrick (from Sun Ra) played with Monk. 

Anyway, even this 1975 performance was not Monk´s last. He performed their one year later again, and also did another concert with Lonny Hillyer on trumpet added, if I remember right. 

[king ubu]

These 1971 London sessions are the final Monk studio/leader recordings.

Those live recordings from 1972 and 1975 have never been released officially, I think. But of course there was the 1972 Giants of Jazz tour, which yielded a studio date from Berne (Concord) and later also a CD in the Monterey series (with Roy Eldridge and Clark Terry jumping in for Dizzy Gillespie).

[Gheorghe]

1 hour ago, king ubu said:

These 1971 London sessions are the final Monk studio/leader recordings.

Those live recordings from 1972 and 1975 have never been released officially, I think. But of course there was the 1972 Giants of Jazz tour, which yielded a studio date from Berne (Concord) and later also a CD in the Monterey series (with Roy Eldridge and Clark Terry jumping in for Dizzy Gillespie).

I never could find the Concord CD, I´ve heard it might be interesting since it features more Monk compositions as usual.

About Roy Eldridge and Clark Terry jumpin in for Diz I think there was a similar incident here in Viena. They had to play without Diz to the big disappointment of the Vienese audience, who was replaced by Cat Anderson and maybe Clark Terry. To bad I was 1 year too young to have seen it, my first goin´out to concerts was in 1973. Otherwise I could have said I have seen Monk. Since most of my friends were a bit elder (né 1955) they told me about the event which they saw. 

Too bad that the live recordings were not released officially I think a lot of people would have purchased it. 

About the London sessions, mostly the solo pieces it was kinda of a guide to me to play solo pieces. It´s just incredible , so good.

[romualdo]

On 12/30/2022 at 7:39 PM, Gheorghe said:

I have thought the last recordings were later. 

I think I have somewhere a maybe not really legit recording of two different live sessions.

One from late 1972 at the Village Vanguard with Paul Jeffrey, Dave Holland and Tootie , which is very very fine .

The 72 (Village Vanguard) & 75 (Newport Festival, Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC) recordings were released in 2009 on a double CD spanish boot plus I sourced a FLAC of the 72 concert a few years ago - I'm surprised no one has officially released these - the SQ sounds pretty good to me - I've heard much much worse.

When Robin Kelly knew (I've communicated with him a number of times) I had these recordings he asked for a copy (he didn't have this music himself) but it was for TS Monk who played on both dates and was very very interested in hearing it, again!!

I Was happy to oblige & he sent me some unreleased Monk in return.