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Memories of T
Ben Riley
Memories of T
Genres: Jazz, Pop
 
  •  Track Listings (11) - Disc #1

Drummer Ben Riley played with Thelonious Monk in one of the pianist/composer's finest bands, the indefatigable quartet of the mid-60s, and Riley has been one of Monk?s greatest advocates ever since, including this sparklin...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Ben Riley
Title: Memories of T
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Concord Records
Original Release Date: 1/1/2006
Re-Release Date: 10/31/2006
Genres: Jazz, Pop
Style: Bebop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 888072300958, 4988005457554, 498800545755

Synopsis

Amazon.com
Drummer Ben Riley played with Thelonious Monk in one of the pianist/composer's finest bands, the indefatigable quartet of the mid-60s, and Riley has been one of Monk?s greatest advocates ever since, including this sparkling, joyous septet. Don Sickler wrote the arrangements for the band, devising an original approach to orchestrating Monk without a piano by combining guitar with his own trumpet and three saxophones, often to mimic Monk's original accompaniments. The resulting clarity highlights Riley's subtly propulsive drumming and a general fidelity to Monk's style of melodic improvisation, most notably by newcomer Wayne Escoffery on tenor. Along with some of Monk's best-known tunes ("Rhythm-A-Ning" and "Straight, No Chaser" stand out), the band offers fine versions of three witty and obscure gems that Monk wrote for a 1955 Gigi Gryce session: "Gallop?s Gallop," "Brake?s Sake," and "Shuffle Boil." They're evidence of Riley and Sickler's thoughtful and thorough appreciation of modern jazz's greatest composer. --Stuart Broomer

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CD Reviews

Brilliant Corners
whoopycat | Des Moines, IA United States | 11/09/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now here's a tribute album with a twist... Riley & Co. play the music of Thelonious Monk in a pianoless septet. Instead of having a pianist do a second rate Monk imitation, 4 horns and a guitar are used to reproduce Monk's inimitable piano voicings. Ben Riley is in fine form, and trumpeter Don Sickler's arrangements really make Monk's tunes sound completely original, making the album much more than a tribute. Rudy Van Gelder's engineering is also top notch; the mix sounds like a sensual massage for the ears. A stellar package. Any Monk or jazz fan will eat this up."