Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe [Live]

Amazon.com essential recording
Among Thelonious Monk's brilliant musical associations, the one with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin sometimes gets overlooked. This 1958 recording catches the quartet with bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Roy Haynes on its home turf, New York's Five Spot Cafe. Griffin's gruffly compressed sound and high-speed, coiling lines are a fine foil for Monk's spare and pointed comping, bringing a distinct and special intensity to Monk's music. Together the group turns in classic renditions of familiar Monk tunes, including a brilliant Griffin performance of "Blue Monk." --Stuart Broomer

Tracks:

Light Blue
Coming On The Hudson
Rhythm-A-Ning
Epistrophy (Theme)
Blue Monk
Evidence
Epistrophy (Theme)
Unidentified Solo Piano
Blues Five Spot
In Walked Bud/Epistrophy (Theme)

Amazon.com essential recording

Among Thelonious Monk's brilliant musical associations, the one with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin sometimes gets overlooked. This 1958 recording catches the quartet with bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Roy Haynes on its home turf, New York's Five Spot Cafe. Griffin's gruffly compressed sound and high-speed, coiling lines are a fine foil for Monk's spare and pointed comping, bringing a distinct and special intensity to Monk's music. Together the group turns in classic renditions of familiar Monk tunes, including a brilliant Griffin performance of "Blue Monk." --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Aesthetic Monk.......2006-01-10

A little while back when I was just compiling random CDs, I stumbled on Thelonious Monk. The price was right and I bought this one and now the price is even better and everyone should have it. My playing experience with jazz was only amateur at best but what it gave me was an appreciation of the workings of the music and no one has mesmerized me more than Thelonious Monk.

Often I wish I had the capacity to express the finer musical specifics of Monk's jazz, but my learning never went that far. Instead, I must proclaim from more or less a strictly aesthetic standpoint that the music on this CD is amazing. I've always admired what I've felt is Monk's intellectual concern with how jazz sounds and how rhythm is used and each of these tracks shine with both his brilliant philosophy and brilliant talent.

Spontaneous Monk at his best !!!.......2005-05-12

These five-spot dates, along with 'Misterioso' belong in every collection. What live recordings should be, but rarely are.

Brilliant, Inspired & Real.......2003-10-10

Admittedly a jazz novice, this disc is arguably one of Monk's best. The third number, Rhythm-A-Ning, has some unbelievable, swinging performances by both Griffin and Monk. The realism of the live performance is easily recognized by the phone ringing during a drum solo (I think during Blue Monk) and Monk saying "Johnny" before a number begins. I wish I could have been there because it is obvious these guys knew how to jam.

The BEST of the BEST.......2003-08-08

I own every Monk album commercially released and many others that were not, and the Five Spot recordings are my favorites of them all. Here in my opinion is the *perfect* Monk quartet. Each musician is a shining star melded into a super creative force. They KNOW this music. Griffin soars on sax, his bop chops impeccable. He knows Monk's changes inside out and wrings breathtaking surprises out of them. His playing is more Monk-ish than Rouse, Coltrane, etc. Abdul-Malik, probably the most underrated if not unknown jazz bassist, similarly makes his instrument sing here. He backs the group with drive and verve and his true-to-Monk solos are among the finest you will ever hear in a Monk group. Roy Haynes on drums is the perfect drummer for Monk--Blakey (except on the two Genius of Modern Music's) and Dunlop overpowered the music, and I love Blakey--because the always musical Roy Haynes got INSIDE with subtleties and textures that escape the others. His cymbal work is unparalled; his snare/bass drum interactions riveting, his solos creative, unexpected and thoroughly satisfying. Thelonious's playing on this disk is awesome. His chords, his comping, his solos, his timing... everything is so right! This was recorded at a time when the tunes were fresh, with lots left to explore. None of the repetitive pianistic cliches Monk seemed to favor later on in his career. I could run down the tunes track by track extolling everything even measure by measure, but suffice to say together these men were all at their peak creativity there in the Village in the late 50's and laid down musical history on these wonderous tracks. I have listened to "In Action" and "Misterioso" (the other equally great Five Spot recording) hundreds of times and never tire of it -- the music is that superb. Let this one into your head! It demands repeated listenings. After a while pay attention to one musician at a time and just follow him because there are *artists* at work here. In sum, buy it YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.

Where Jazz was born.......2003-01-23

As far a I am concerned this is where jazz was born, at the Five Spot Cafe. Jazz before that was just stillborn or a miscarriage. This is Jazz in it's purest form. The best! If you're new to Jazz: Start here!

Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe

Average customer rating:

Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000GIWMTS
Release Date: 2006-09-04

Tracks:

Light Blue
Coming On The Hudson
Rhythm-A-Ning
Epistrophy (Theme)
Blue Monk
Evidence
Epistrophy (Theme)

Album Description

Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2006.

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Pop Music:

Pop Music