Ah! Here’s the Blue Note label I grew up with and loved! A cd/dvd set of Thelonious Monk with a quartet consisting of old time mate Charlie Rouse/ts along with relative youngsters Nate Hygelund/b and Paris Wright/dr as well as a guest slot with Philly Joe Jones for the closing segment has him fresh off of his Underground recording from 1968 in front of an appreciative audience at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Monk does a few solo takes of standards such as “Don’t Blame Me” and “I Love You Sweetheart” while the rest of the evening has the band running through some swinging takes of “I Mean You” and “Light Blue.” Monk himself, while looking a bit fatigued on the dvd, plays with focus and brightness throughout, with a glowing “Ruby My Dear” as Rouse’s smoky tenor shaves off the sharp angles on “Straight, No Chaser” and “Epistrophy.” Jones livens up the ten minute “Nutty” and shortened “Blue Monk.” The dvd includes an interview with a relentless reporter and a jet-lagged but patient pianist, making this an essential set for any jazz fan. Encore!
Blue Note Records