Most tribute albums leave me cold, as they tend to detract, rather than add, to the honored artist. This one, organized by trumpeter Jimmy Owens, is done right, for a number of reasons. First, he was smart in that although he has the dependable Kenny Barron at the piano, he lets the rich horn team of himself, Wycliffe Gordon/tb, Marcus Strickland/ts and Howard Johnson/bari-tuba do the brunt of the work. Monk’s idiosyncratic ivory textures are harmonized exquisitely by the four winds on tunes like “Well You Needn’t” and “Pannonica.” The rhythm team of Baron, Kenny Davis/b and Winard Harper is elastic enough to keep the music swinging yet retain the original quirkiness, and lesser known tunes like “Stuffy Turkey” as well as Monk’s interpretation of “It Don’t Mean A Thing” were brilliant audibles. This label puts out some fantastic material, and this latest release is up there with the best.
IPO Recordings