Stanley Crouch on Miles and Monk

[medjuck]

Somewhere Stanley Crouch wrote about the December 24, 1954 Miles Davis session with Monk on piano.  Though I've found references to, and quotes from, the article/review, I've never been able to find the whole piece.  Does anybody know where and when it was originally published and if it's anthologized anywhere?

[John L]

In an essay in on Miles Davis in "The All American Skin Game," Crouch writes  a paragraph on the December 24, 1954 session, which mostly praises Thelonious Monk's contributions to the date.  I have it in the 1996 anthology "Reading Jazz" edited by Robert Gottlieb.

But maybe you have in mind a longer essay. 

Edited December 27, 2022 by John L

[medjuck]

Thanks.  I have that book and didn't remember the essay . This was very helpful, but I believe there was an earlier essay (perhaps a review for the Village Voice) where he says much the same thing but is even flowerier (is that a word).   

[sonnymax]

Try the February 12, 1990 issue of the New Republic, pp. 30-37.

Edited December 28, 2022 by sonnymax

[Eric]

50 minutes ago, sonnymax said:

Try the February 12, 1990 issue of the New Republic, pp. 30-37.

Goodness, that brings back memories - I was a subscriber for years and remember that issue.  Should have saved it - maybe I did in my mountain of 80s/90s Downbeats ...

[Gheorghe]

I also would have liked to read the essay. 

I always thought that the story of the "almost fight" in the studio was something that is invented and would be good for a movie. Maybe there was some discussion, why not. But never when I listened to those tracks, I had that story in mind, never ever ! 
And listen what Miles plays on "Bemsha Swing" . That solo is out of love for Monk, Miles has some typical Monk phrases in his trumpet solo and makes me wonder what would have been if Miles had recorded as a sideman for Monk, like Sonny Rollins did. Maybe at least for some time he would have been the ideal trumpet voice for Monk´s Music. 
And the story that Miles had asked Monk to lay out while he soloes, well that´s some good thing and Monk himself made a trademark out of it, layin out while the hornplayer was soloing, maybe having his typical "Monk Dance" and then hurry back to the piano exactly in the moment when his own solo starts......