Thelonious Monk • Paris 1969

 

Review
by Thom Jurek  
Thelonious Monk was having a rough time of it during the latter 1960s. Experiencing health and some economic problems, he was also in dispute with Columbia Records, whose marketing department was trying to re-create him in the image of a rock star (see the cover of Underground). On top of this, he had lost his core rhythm section, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley. For his eighth European tour, the pianist hired young, unknown players as accompanists for himself and saxophonist Charlie Rouse: Berklee music school student Nate "Lloyd" Hygelund on bass and 17-year-old drummer Paris Wright -- son of bassist Herman Wright.
This date was recorded on the last night of the tour at the 3,800 seat Salle Pleyel (the same theater in which a far lesser-known Monk, playing with a local rhythm section, had bombed badly in 1954), and was filmed for French television broadcast. The members of this band had been able to establish a rapport during their travels, including a stint at Ronnie Scott's in London as well as gigs in Berlin, Cologne, and Italy. The show finds Monk and band playing well -- even if, at times, they are just swinging through the tunes rather than embellishing them. The versions of his classic tunes -- "Ruby My Dear," "Straight, No Chaser," "Light Blue," "Epistrophy," "Crepuscule with Nelly," "Bright Mississippi" -- and others are played with a sophisticated command, if not the experimentation they once contained. Wright is a perfectly capable, hard-swinging hard bop drummer; his chops are impressive -- for his age -- if not exceptional. Hygelund is the perfect timekeeper, always physical and in the pocket, and Rouse, so familiar with his boss' music, plays it so effortlessly and perfectly that at times he seems on autopilot -- save for his angular solo on "Light Blue." Monk, despite his health problems, seems undiminished. While there is no dancing, unpredictable bashing of chords with his elbows, or other theatrics common to his earlier persona, his sense of rhythm, harmony, imagination, and swing is ample. Wright gets a lesson in how it's all done on "Nutty," when the pianist calls out Philly Joe Jones (then a resident of Paris), who, though looking haggard, adds a polyrhythmic thrust to the proceedings that emboldens and energizes Monk.
Another spot where we hear the pianist stretch is in his uncharacteristically busy flourishes on "Ruby My Dear." This volume is a welcome addition to Monk's recorded catalog; it adds a fine performance to counter the then-popular critical notion that the great composer and pianist was languishing.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-1969-mw0002581640

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Reseña
por Thom Jurek
Thelonious Monk pasaba por un mal momento a finales de los años sesenta. Tenía problemas de salud y algunos problemas económicos, y también estaba en disputa con Columbia Records, cuyo departamento de marketing intentaba recrearlo a imagen de una estrella del rock (véase la portada de Underground). Además, había perdido a su principal sección rítmica, el bajista Larry Gales y el batería Ben Riley. Para su octava gira europea, el pianista contrató a jóvenes desconocidos como acompañantes suyos y del saxofonista Charlie Rouse: Nate "Lloyd" Hygelund, estudiante de la escuela de música Berklee, al bajo, y Paris Wright, batería de 17 años, hijo del bajista Herman Wright.
Esta fecha se grabó la última noche de la gira en la Salle Pleyel, con capacidad para 3.800 espectadores (el mismo teatro en el que un Monk mucho menos conocido, tocando con una sección rítmica local, había sufrido un grave atentado en 1954), y se filmó para su emisión por la televisión francesa. Los miembros de esta banda habían logrado establecer una buena relación durante sus viajes, incluyendo una temporada en el Ronnie Scott's de Londres, así como actuaciones en Berlín, Colonia e Italia. Monk y su banda tocan muy bien, aunque a veces se limiten a repasar los temas en lugar de embellecerlos. Las versiones de sus temas clásicos - "Ruby My Dear", "Straight, No Chaser", "Light Blue", "Epistrophy", "Crepuscule with Nelly", "Bright Mississippi"- y otros se tocan con un dominio sofisticado, si no con la experimentación que contenían antaño. Wright es un baterista de hard bop perfectamente capaz; sus habilidades son impresionantes - para su edad - si no excepcionales. Hygelund es el cronometrador perfecto, siempre físico y en el bolsillo, y Rouse, tan familiarizado con la música de su jefe, la interpreta tan sin esfuerzo y a la perfección que a veces parece en piloto automático -- salvo su anguloso solo en "Light Blue". Monk, a pesar de sus problemas de salud, no parece disminuido. Aunque no hay bailes, ni golpes impredecibles de acordes con los codos, ni otros elementos teatrales comunes a su anterior personaje, su sentido del ritmo, la armonía, la imaginación y el swing es amplio. Wright recibe una lección de cómo se hace todo esto en "Nutty", cuando el pianista llama a Philly Joe Jones (entonces residente en París), quien, aunque con aspecto demacrado, añade un empuje polirrítmico a las actuaciones que envalentona y da energía a Monk.
Otro punto en el que oímos al pianista estirarse es en sus florituras inusualmente ocupadas en "Ruby My Dear". Este volumen es una adición bienvenida al catálogo de grabaciones de Monk; añade una buena interpretación para contrarrestar la noción crítica entonces popular de que el gran compositor y pianista estaba languideciendo.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-1969-mw0002581640

www.theloniousmonkmusic.com ...

Tracks:
01 I Mean You
02 Ruby My Dear
03 Straight, No Chaser
04 Bright Mississippi
05 Light Blue
06 Epistrophy
07 Don't Blame Me
08 I Love You, Sweetheart of All My Dreams
09 Crepuscule with Nellie
10 Bright Mississippi (Reprise)
11 Nutty
12 Blue Monk


Credits:
Thelonious Monk - piano
Charlie Rouse - tenor sax
Nate Hygelund - bass
Paris Wright - drums
Philly Joe Jones - drums

Label:    Blue Note – B001882101, Laser Swing Productions – B001882101, Lower 5th – B001882101
Country:    US
Released:    2013
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/5147152-Thelonious-Monk-Paris-1969

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