"Rudy, put this on the record - all of it!"
Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 10/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Fireworks. The session on which Miles and Monk almost came to blows - yet both produced some of their best work of the decade. Miles hated the way Monk comped behind his solos and they argued about it, until Miles told Monk he wanted him to stop playing when he (Miles) soloed. Monk, of course, didn't care for that idea too much. They bickered and some of those vocal exchanges appear right on the recording. But somehow it also inspired them because they play intense, brilliant music at the same time. Unfortunately, the CD doesn't include the whole session: besides the two takes of THE MAN I LOVE, there were two takes of BAGS' GROOVE recorded, neither of which make it on this CD. (You'll find those on the Prestige CD titled BAGS' GROOVE, OJC 245). And ROUND MIDNIGHT isn't from this date at all.
BEMSHA SWING might be the most amazing track here because on it Miles allowed Monk to play behind him. The transition from Miles's solo to Monk's is brilliant, with Miles laying down Monkian phrases which Monk then picks up on. SWING SPRING is one of Davis's earliest modal compositions, a terrific tune. The two takes of THE MAN I LOVE are quite different, with the second take's angry musical exchanges between Miles and Monk, with Miles's desire to be lyrical and Monks's to be experimental, causing a tension for the listener that is almost unbearable - and magnificent. It's amazing to hear these two headstrong, magisterial musicians "fighting" for dominance right before our ears - no holds barred. A fantastic recording date. A must-have CD."
Some just don't get it
continentalpong | Austin, TX | 09/10/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To the reviewer below who claims "Thelonious Monk is by far the most overrated musician of all time," you obviously don't get it and are throwing out opinions on subjects of which you know nothing. The "genius" label is reserved for those who truly deserve it, such as people like Mozart, Miles and Monk. I defy you to name a single credible jazz musician that doesn't have a library of Monk tunes they can pull from their head and play from memory. The fact you weren't sure where Monk was coming from or was going to go was an essential part of the genius in his playing itself. I'm also not sure you would call the man who wrote "Round Midnight," "Epistrophy," and "Straight, No Chaser" (if I may be so bold as to include a woefully inadequate list of his classic standards) "overrated". Likewise, were it not for Monk, the man who almost single-handedly invented bebop, we wouldn't know jazz as it stands today.
Lastly, comparing Monk to Oscar Peterson is like comparing a Dodge Viper to a bowl of fruit. To paraphrase Jules from Pulp Fiction: "They ain't no same ballpark. Hell, they ain't even the same sport!"."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1
