Just when you start getting used to today’s sounds, a voice from the past reminds you of your first and true love.
A previously unreleased recoding of a 1963 concert with Thelonious Monk and his working team of long time tenor saxist Charlie Rouse and John Ore/b with Frankie Dunlop/dr. Monk was in the early stages of his latest “comeback,” signing on with Columbia Records and eventually gracing the cover of TIME magazine.
This five song collection has strong and hard hitting Dunlop swinging under Monk’s wonderful idiosyncratic chords on “Bye-Ya” while rich strides on the ivories feel like you’re in a cozy parlor on the fun “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You.” Monk’s touch is rich on his solo read of “Body and Soul” while his faithful friend Rouse is palpably rich on the angular “Nutty” and bouncy for “Monk’s Dream.” The entire concert oozes with a joy and inherent optimism that is missing in today’s navel gazing sounds. When was the last time you saw a pianist dance on stage to his own music? A wonderful voice from our halcyon days.