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| 6.753 Ft
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| 1. | The Way You Look Tonight
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| 2. | I Want to Be Happy
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| 3. | Work
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| 4. | Nutty
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| 5. | Friday the 13th
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Jazz
Thelonious Monk - Piano
Sonny Rollins - Sax (Tenor)
Art Blakey - Drums
Arthur Taylor
Julius Watkins - French Horn
Percy Heath - Bass
Tommy Potter - Bass
Willie Jones III - Drums
Rudy Van Gelder Remaster
* Bob Weinstock - Supervisor
* Ira Gitler - Liner Notes
* Nick Phillips - Reissue Producer
* Rikka Arnold - Project Assistant
* Rudy Van Gelder - Author, Engineer, Remastering
* Stuart Kremsky - Production Assistant, Research Assistant
* Tamaki Beck - Mastering
* Terri Hinte - Project Assistant
Thelonious Monk's years as a Prestige recording artist (1952-1954) were tough times for the legendary composer/pianist. Unable to work in New York clubs due to the unjust loss of his cabaret card, and misunderstood when not ignored by listeners as well as many musicians, Monk's profile was sustained primarily by his appearances as both leader and sideman on a series of Prestige sessions released in the then-new LP format. The present collection, which samples three of those sessions, appeared as critics and fans were beginning to catch up to Monk's singular genius and remains one of the best introductions to his iconoclastic brilliance. Three tracks feature leading Monk disciple Sonny Rollins, hitting early peaks on two standards and stretching out on "Friday the 13th", plus a pair of tracks in which Monk's greatest studio trio (with Percy Heath on bass and Art Blakey on drums) introduce the classic "Work" and "Nutty".
"I was the engineer on the recording sessions and I also made the masters for the original LP issues of these albums. Since the advent of the CD, other people have been making the masters. Mastering is the final step in the process of creating the sound of the finished product. Now, thanks to the folks at the Concord Music Group who have given me the opportunity to remaster these albums, I can present my versions of the music on CD using modern technology. I remember the sessions well, I remember how the musicians wanted to sound, and I remember their reactions to the playbacks. Today, I feel strongly that I am their messenger."
---Rudy Van Gelder
This disc contains an all-star cast headed up by Thelonious Monk (piano) and includes some collaborative efforts with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax) that go beyond simply inspired and into a realm of musical telepathy. The five tunes included on Work are derived from three separate sessions held between November of 1953 and September of the following year. As is often the case, this likewise means that there are three distinct groups of musicians featured. Whether by design or happenstance, the tracks compiled for this EP present Monk in the favorable confines and settings of smaller combos, ranging from the intimacy of the Percy Heath (bass) and Art Blakey (drums) trio on "Nutty" as well as the equally grooving title track. Both utilize Monk's uncanny and distinct sense of melody and are conspicuous for Blakey's rollicking percussive contributions -- which, at times, become thrust between Monk's disjointed chord work. The larger quartet and quintet settings are equally as inventive, retaining the highly inventive atmosphere. However, the undeniable highlight is the interaction between Monk and Rollins. Leading off the disc is a definitive and freewheeling reading of the pop standard "The Way You Look Tonight." Equally as scintillating is "I Want to Be Happy," both of which are also highlighted by Art Taylor (drums) and Tommy Potter (bass). They provide a supple and unencumbered framework for the soloists to weave their inimitable and often contrasting contributions. The final track is the beautifully dissonant and extended "Friday the Thirteenth," which is ironically the first fortuitous collaboration between the two co-leads. Rollins is able to entwine a sinuous lead throughout Monk's contrasting chord counterpoint. Enthusiasts seeking additional tracks from these and the remainder of Monk's sessions during his brief residency with Prestige should consider the suitably titled four-CD Complete Prestige Recordings compilation.
--- Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide |
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