Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk

Summary

Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk is an album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.[6] It was originally issued on the Riverside label as RLP 12-323 (mono)/1171 (stereo) and Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 305–2 in 1987.

Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk
Live album by
Released1960
RecordedApril 29, 1960
Blackhawk, San Francisco
GenreJazz
Length46:31 (Original LP) 59:00 (CD Re-issue)
LabelRiverside
RLP 12-323/1171
ProducerOrrin Keepnews
Thelonious Monk chronology
Thelonious Alone in San Francisco
(1959)
Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk
(1960)
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane
(1961)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Down Beat
(Original Lp release)
[1]
Allmusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[5]

Origins of the album edit

Riverside Records had originally planned for the album to be co-led by drummer Shelly Manne. Manne's career was at a high point in 1960, and his quintet released four albums recorded live at the Blackhawk that year. (A fifth album from the recording sessions, which took place in 1959, was released in 1991.) Three tracks of Monk's group with Manne playing drums were recorded at the Blackhawk with Manne on April 28, 1960. These tracks remained unissued until the release of Thelonious Monk: The Complete Riverside Recordings in 1986. The tracks recorded with Manne were "'Round Midnight", "Just You, Just Me" and "San Francisco Holiday" (a.k.a. "Worry Later"). Contrary to some published accounts, these tracks do include guest musicians Joe Gordon and Harold Land alongside Monk's regular band members Charlie Rouse and John Ore. Producer Orrin Keepnews felt that the group with Manne playing drums was not musically successful, and Manne agreed and withdrew from the project. Keepnews then called in Billy Higgins as a last-minute replacement for Manne. Higgins, who was based in Los Angeles during this period, had recently garnered national recognition as a member of the Ornette Coleman quartet in 1959 and 1960.

Track listing edit

All pieces by Thelonious Monk unless otherwise noted.

Original LP edit

Side One

  1. Let's Call This - 8:32
  2. Four in One - 8:37
  3. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (George Bassman, Ned Washington) - 6:07

Side Two

  1. Worry Later - 9:09
  2. 'Round Midnight" (Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen) - 12:06
  3. Epistrophy (Closing Theme) - 2:00

CD Re-issue edit

  1. "Let's Call This" – 8:33
  2. "Four in One" – 8:41
  3. "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (George Bassman, Ned Washington) – 6:14
  4. "Epistrophy" (Monk, Kenny Clarke) – 6:41
  5. "Evidence" – 7:09
  6. "San Francisco Holiday (Worry Later)" – 9:10
  7. "'Round Midnight" (Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen) – 12:07
  8. "Epistrophy" – 0:59

Personnel edit

Production edit

References edit

  1. ^ Down Beat: September 15, 1960 Vol. 27, No. 19
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 145. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1025. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. ^ Allmusic entry for Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk