Big Band & Quartet In Concert: Live Jazz Performance for Events, Weddings & Parties

Monk released a lot of albums in the sixties, and it's no surprise that this one tends to be overlooked: the songs look endlessly long (nothing with the big band save "Epistrophy" is under ten minutes), it's the same songs Monk had been playing live for at least five years, and isn't there already At Town Hall if you want to hear Monk with a big band? Yet this is a unique concert, and it's a way of hearing songs like "I Mean You" or "Evidence" arranged right, with the right players putting everything they have into making a big sound, and on this record, Monk does everything big. And it is quite a band: Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse (of course), Steve Lacy (but no solos, sadly), Eddie Bert, and the wonderful Thad Jones are just a part of this band, and it's a joy to hear them stretch out over some Monk classics and one new song, "Oska T", which starts with a pummeling and ends in a vaudeville twist, a true curiosity even in his catalog. This was for a 12/30/63 Philharmonic Hall show, and clearly everyone was well prepared, and a new listener should decide how prepared he or she is for what's here.There are two types of tunes here, essentially. The first are lengthy big band workouts of tunes like opening number "Bye-Ya", which misses the spontaneity of the Prestige recording, but amps up the recent Monk's Dream version. The band locks in nicely, and some good solos are on hand, though the slower tempo could turn off some listeners. That is a problem with any big band: go too fast, and you lose your players, but go too slow, and you lose your listeners. This is where the stellar arrangements come into play, as well as the players, who really add spice to the numbers. In particular, Charlie Rouse is becoming a melodic weapon at this point, fully finding his voice with Monk as he twists and bends the lyrical tunes like "Four in One". Behind the band may be the real secret weapon of the set, though. Butch Warren was new, but he adds deep pocket bass here, and it's too bad he only stayed for two albums. There's also Frankie Dunlop, who understood how to accentuate Monk's songs, staying in the low end and putting a good kick on the numbers. This would be his last album, and all of his work with Monk is worth hearing.That rhythm section may sound best, though, on the other type of tune on this record, which is the representation of the regular Monk live experience: the solo and quartet pieces, and these are something. Monk is clearly having a blast through "Darkness on the Delta", and it's nice to hear the two quartet pieces if only to feel the band let loose a bit. Of course, there are many Monk sets with a strong quartet showing, going back to the masterful Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall set and moving forward to the amazing Live at the It Club: Complete sets. For newcomers to live Monk, these quartet numbers give a good idea to what to expect there, especially live Monk with Rouse.Ultimately, this deserves better sound than it has (why wasn't it remastered with the other Columbia sets?), but it's a good price, and Monk fans will be pleased. It's almost a lost album, really, and it deserves better, as there's a chilly sort of day just perfect for this music (just add fireplace). One such day was likely felt from the audience's perspective at this show, watching and hearing what must have been a great night of music. Why not join them?