Thelonious Monk • 5 By Monk By 5

 

Review by Lindsay Planer
As the '50s drew to a close, so did Thelonious Monk's illustrious tenure on Riverside Records. In fact, the three dates needed for this title would be his penultimate for the label. The concept of the album consists of five Monk originals performed in a quintet setting. Ironically, this was the first time that Monk had recorded with a lineup that so prominently featured the "standard" bop rhythm section incorporating both a trumpet (or, in this case, cornet) and sax player. The quintet featured on 5 by Monk by 5 includes Monk (piano), Thad Jones (cornet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Rouse would become Monk's permanent tenor saxophonist for the majority of the 1960s. In what had become somewhat of a tradition, the disc's program consists of several of Monk's more established works as well as a few new compositions. One of the new works, "Jackie-ing" (incidentally, named after one of Monk's nieces), leads off the disc. It exemplifies the loose, disjointed, and exceedingly difficult arrangements that would define Monk as a premier composer/arranger/bandleader. This is in contrast to Monk the keyboard player and band member, which he skilfully demonstrates throughout the track as well as the rest of the album. The song's opening jam features a tasty tug of war between Rouse's animated lead and Monk's interjections and piano antics. Jones' cornet is incorporated tastefully throughout Monk's tricky arrangements. The stark contrast in performance timbre between the comparatively subdued Rouse or Monk and the frenetic bleating of Jones is notably disconcerting. [Some reissues includes two alternate takes of "Played Twice," the other Monk composition to be debuted on 5 by Monk by 5.]
https://www.allmusic.com/album/5-by-monk-by-5-mw0000200093

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Reseña de Lindsay Planer
A medida que los años 50 llegaban a su fin, también lo hacía el ilustre mandato de Thelonious Monk en Riverside Records. De hecho, las tres fechas necesarias para este título serían las penúltimas para el sello. El concepto del álbum consta de cinco Monk originals interpretados en un quinteto. Irónicamente, esta era la primera vez que Monk grababa con una formación que presentaba de manera tan destacada la sección rítmica bop "estándar" que incorporaba tanto una trompeta (o, en este caso, una corneta) como un saxofonista. El quinteto presentado en 5 by Monk by 5 incluye a Monk (piano), Thad Jones (corneta), Charlie Rouse (saxo tenor), Sam Jones (bajo) y Art Taylor (batería). Rouse se convertiría en el saxofonista tenor permanente de Monk durante la mayor parte de la década de 1960. En lo que se había convertido en una especie de tradición, el programa del disco consta de varias de las obras más establecidas de Monk, así como algunas composiciones nuevas. Una de las nuevas obras, "Jackie-ing" (por cierto, llamada así por una de las sobrinas de Monk), encabeza el disco. Ejemplifica los arreglos sueltos, inconexos y extremadamente difíciles que definirían a Monk como un compositor/arreglista/líder de banda de primer nivel. Esto contrasta con Monk, el tecladista y miembro de la banda, que demuestra hábilmente a lo largo de la pista, así como en el resto del álbum. La jam de apertura de la canción presenta un sabroso tira y afloja entre el protagonista animado de Rouse y las interjecciones y payasadas de piano de Monk. La corneta de Jones se incorpora con buen gusto en los complicados arreglos de Monk. El marcado contraste en el timbre de interpretación entre Rouse o Monk, comparativamente tenue, y el frenético balido de Jones es notablemente desconcertante. [Algunas reediciones incluyen dos tomas alternativas de "Played Twice", la otra composición de Monk que debutará en 5 by Monk by 5.]
https://www.allmusic.com/album/5-by-monk-by-5-mw0000200093

www.theloniousmonkmusic.com ...

Victor Feldman • The Young Vic

 

 

Victor Feldman was born in Edgware, Middlesex in 1934.

He caused a sensation as a musical prodigy when he was “discovered” at age 7. His family were all musical and his father founded the Feldman Swing Club in London in 1942 to showcase his talented son. His first professional appearance was playing drums at No 1 Rhythm Club as a member of the Feldman Trio with brothers Robert on clarinet and Monty on piano accordion. In 1944 he was featured at a concert with Glenn Miller's AAAF band, featured inevitably as “Kid Krupa”. Carlo Krahmer encouraged Feldman to play the vibes which he did first in the Ralph Sharon Sextet and later in the Roy Fox band. He worked in India in 1952 and 1953 in a band led by pianist Eddie Carroll. His vibraphone and conga drum playing were notable, but it was as a pianist that he became best known.

Before leaving the U.K. in 1955 to work in the U.S., Feldman recorded with Ronnie Scott's orchestra and quintet from 1954 to 1955, which also featured other important British jazz musicians such as Phil Seamen and Hank Shaw, among others. It was Scott who recommended that Feldman emigrate to the U.S., which he did in 1957. Once there, his first steady work was with the Woody Herman Herd. From there he went on to join Buddy DeFranco. He recorded with many different jazz artists, including Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Miles Davis, most notably on Davis' 1963 album Seven Steps to Heaven, the title tune being his own composition. The 5-CD Shelly Manne Black Hawk set, originally released on LP in September, 1959, is a good representation of Feldman's unmistakable driving “comping” behind the soloists, helping to define the session as a valuable hard bop genre element.

In 1957 Feldman settled in Los Angeles permanently and then specialized in lucrative session work for the US film and recording industry. He also branched out to work a variety of musicians outside of jazz, working with artists such as Frank Zappa in 1967, Steely Dan in the 1970s and Tom Waits and Joe Walsh in the 1980s. Feldman died at age 53, a year after the death of his wife, to whom he was completely devoted.

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Victor Feldman nació en Edgware, Middlesex en 1934.

Causó sensación como prodigio musical cuando fue "descubierto" a los 7 años. Su familia era toda musical y su padre fundó el Feldman Swing Club en Londres en 1942 para mostrar a su talentoso hijo. Su primera aparición profesional fue tocando la batería en el No 1 Rhythm Club como miembro del Feldman Trio con los hermanos Robert en el clarinete y Monty en el acordeón de piano. En 1944 fue presentado en un concierto con la banda AAAF de Glenn Miller, inevitablemente como "Kid Krupa". Carlo Krahmer animó a Feldman a tocar las vibraciones que hizo primero en el Sexteto de Ralph Sharon y luego en la banda de Roy Fox. Trabajó en la India en 1952 y 1953 en una banda dirigida por el pianista Eddie Carroll. Su vibráfono y su conga eran notables, pero fue como pianista que se hizo más conocido.

Antes de dejar el Reino Unido en 1955 para trabajar en los Estados Unidos, Feldman grabó con la orquesta y el quinteto de Ronnie Scott de 1954 a 1955, en el que también participaron otros importantes músicos británicos de jazz como Phil Seamen y Hank Shaw, entre otros. Fue Scott quien recomendó que Feldman emigrara a los Estados Unidos, lo cual hizo en 1957. Una vez allí, su primer trabajo estable fue con el Woody Herman Herd. A partir de ahí se unió a Buddy DeFranco. Grabó con muchos artistas de jazz diferentes, incluyendo a Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley y Miles Davis, más notablemente en el álbum de 1963 de Davis Seven Steps to Heaven, cuya melodía titular es su propia composición. El set de 5 CD Shelly Manne Black Hawk, originalmente publicado en LP en septiembre de 1959, es una buena representación del inconfundible "comping" de Feldman detrás de los solistas, ayudando a definir la sesión como un valioso elemento del género hard bop.

En 1957 Feldman se estableció permanentemente en Los Ángeles y luego se especializó en lucrativas sesiones de trabajo para la industria cinematográfica y discográfica de los Estados Unidos. También se dedicó a trabajar con una variedad de músicos fuera del jazz, trabajando con artistas como Frank Zappa en 1967, Steely Dan en la década de 1970 y Tom Waits y Joe Walsh en la década de 1980. Feldman murió a la edad de 53 años, un año después de la muerte de su esposa, a quien estaba completamente dedicado.

 

 

victorfeldman.com ...

Warren Barker & His Orchestra • Waltzing Down Broadway

 

Artist Biography by Bruce Eder
Warren Barker was born in Oakland, CA, and attended U.C.L.A. as a music major. His primary instrument was the saxophone, and he continued his studies in composition with Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco and Henri Pensis during his early twenties and broke into the profession when he was hired by NBC as the chief arranger for the radio network's principal music showcase, The Railroad Hour. Barker was very busy during the late '50s and early '60s as an arranger and conductor of pop-instrumental music, some of which has re-emerged on CDs in recent years in various "Bachelor's Den"-theme compilations. He subsequently worked for Warner Bros., 20th Century-Fox, Columbia Pictures, and MGM as a composer, arranger, and conductor, principally for their television divisions. At the end of the 1950s, he served as musical director and conductor on the soundtrack album 77 Sunset Strip, one of the better pop-jazz releases to come out of television. Barker later contributed to the scoring, arranging, and conducting of more than 30 prime time television series, most notably (and successfully) the 1960s comedy series Bewitched. He won an Emmy Award in 1970 for his music for the offbeat James Thurber-inspired series My World and Welcome to It. His career in film has been more scattershot and interesting -- during the early '60s, he composed the music for the groundbreaking film Strange Lovers, which dealt with the then-tabu subject of homosexuality. At MGM in the mid-'60s, he also wrote the score for the low-budget movie Zebra in the Kitchen, which was marginally notable in rock circles for including a totally uncharacteristic recording by the Standells of the title song. And at Fox he was one of the arrangers who worked on the blockbuster musical Hello Dolly. He wrote song arrangements for Frank Sinatra and has also composed pieces for specific occasions, principally in the idiom of band music. He was still active at the outset of the 21st century, and his arrangements of various Broadway and film scores continue to sell.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/warren-barker-mn0000194805/biography

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Biografía del artista por Bruce Eder
Warren Barker nació en Oakland, CA, y asistió a la U.C.L.A. como estudiante de música. Su instrumento principal fue el saxofón, y continuó sus estudios de composición con Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco y Henri Pensis durante sus veinte años de edad e irrumpió en la profesión cuando fue contratado por la NBC como arreglista jefe de la principal muestra de música de la cadena de radio, The Railroad Hour. Barker estuvo muy ocupado a finales de los años 50 y principios de los 60 como arreglador y director de música instrumental pop, algunos de los cuales han resurgido en los últimos años en varios recopilatorios temáticos de "Bachelor's Den". Posteriormente trabajó para Warner Bros., 20th Century-Fox, Columbia Pictures y MGM como compositor, arreglista y director, principalmente para sus divisiones de televisión. A finales de los años 50, se desempeñó como director musical y director de la banda sonora del álbum 77 Sunset Strip, uno de los mejores lanzamientos de pop-jazz que ha salido de la televisión. Más tarde, Barker contribuyó a la composición, arreglo y dirección de más de 30 series de televisión en horario de máxima audiencia, entre las que destaca (y con éxito) la serie de comedias de los años sesenta Bewitched. Ganó un premio Emmy en 1970 por su música para la extraordinaria serie inspirada en James Thurber My World and Welcome to It. Su carrera en el cine ha sido más dispersa e interesante: a principios de los años 60, compuso la música para la innovadora película Strange Lovers, que trataba sobre el tema de la homosexualidad, entonces tabú. En MGM a mediados de los 60, también escribió la partitura para la película de bajo presupuesto Zebra in the Kitchen, que fue marginalmente notable en círculos de rock por incluir una grabación totalmente inusual de la canción del título por parte de los Standells. Y en Fox fue uno de los arreglistas que trabajó en el exitoso musical Hello Dolly. Escribió arreglos de canciones para Frank Sinatra y también ha compuesto piezas para ocasiones específicas, principalmente en el idioma de la música de la banda. Todavía estaba activo a principios del siglo XXI, y sus arreglos de varias partituras de Broadway y cine siguen vendiéndose.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/warren-barker-mn0000194805/biography

Workout: The Music of Hank Mobley

 

Among the great American modern jazz saxophonists, Hank Mobley has been the most unjustly neglected - the truly forgotten man. Yet he played and recorderd prolifically with the greatest legends of his era such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gilespie, Lee Morgan, Johnny Griffin and Art Blakey, helping to create some of their finest work. His best recordings are classics, characterized by an instantly identifiable sound and style, and constant musical inventiveness. But his loner personality made him his own worst enemy, many of his records remained unissued in his lifetime, and he died forgotten and destitute. Now, at last, most of his recorded legacy is available on CD and he is increasingly recognized as one of the major figures of modern jazz. In this book, the first to be published about Hank Mobley, Derek Ansell provides a detailed critical introduction to his music and a timely reassessment of his contribution to the jazz art.

 

Derek Ansell (Autor)  

 

Different Drummers Rhythm and Race in the Americas

 

Long a taboo subject among critics, rhythm finally takes center stage in this book's dazzling, wide-ranging examination of diverse black cultures across the New World. Martin Munro’s groundbreaking work traces the central―and contested―role of music in shaping identities, politics, social history, and artistic expression. Starting with enslaved African musicians, Munro takes us to Haiti, Trinidad, the French Caribbean, and to the civil rights era in the United States. Along the way, he highlights such figures as Toussaint Louverture, Jacques Roumain, Jean Price-Mars, The Mighty Sparrow, Aimé Césaire, Edouard Glissant, Joseph Zobel, Daniel Maximin, James Brown, and Amiri Baraka. Bringing to light new connections among black cultures, Munro shows how rhythm has been both a persistent marker of race as well as a dynamic force for change at virtually every major turning point in black New World history.