Search - Thelonious Monk :: At Town Hall

Super Sized Monk!

Clare Quilty | a little pad in hawaii | 04/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ordinarily, I prefer Monk in a trio setting. My favorite of his albums is "Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington," in which it's just Monk's piano, drums and bass. That, to me, is just enough accompaniment to garnish his sound without crowding it.But oddly enough, I love the 1959 Town Hall Concert, in which Monk is part of a 10-piece band. I think it's something about the combination of Jay McAllister's tuba, Sam Jones' rubbery bass and the beautiful oddball baritone saxophone of Pepper Adams. This stuff swings ("Friday the 13th") and it's a fun album but also clearly a product of intense concentration on all sides. It's full of beautiful, melancholy moments ("Monk's Mood") but it also tweaks a Monk staple ("Crepsucule with Nellie"). And it just has some great, kick back and listen gems: a nicely bulked-up "Thelonious," and "Off Minor" and "Little Rootie Tootie" (both within the concert and as an encore). An excellent album."

MONK ON CENTER STAGE

Larry Brill | ny ny | 11/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i was smart enough to be in the audience that nite. if you listen closely you can hear me applauding...and i still am! any album of monks' is worth the price of admission and this CD of LIVE big band monk is a one & only. there's mucho quartet, trio etc out there...i love the Black Lion solo stuff his wife made him do, all 6 CDs...and the LIVE 5 SPOT recordings (hear me clapping on those too?) BUY THIS...Buy EVERY monk side you can. he is a world treasure to be treasured over & over. ENJOY"

Monk stepping into yet "newer territory"

Manny Hernandez | Bay Area, CA | 09/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Granted that the music in this album recorded in 1959 is not new in itself, the arrangements in it are different from your "typical" Thelonious Monk. He steps into big band-type territory, with the participation of a ten piece band, away from the 'more limited' standard four or five piece ensemble. To take the tracks into that new direction (consider there are parts for a tuba, Franch horn, trombone, trumpet, baritone, tenor and alto sax here, on top of the piano, bass and drums) he counted on Hall Overton, a long time Monk enthusiast and composer/pianist/teacher himself.Worth mentioning in particular are the opening track (I can keep on listening to it for a thousand times!) and the 9+ min long "Friday the 13th" where Phil Woods steps in with a quite remarkable alto sax solo."