Brilliant Corners. Thelonious Monk; (Prestige, 1956.) Well, what can be said about this master that hasn't already been said by some of the great minds of the last century? Only that, for those of you who are sensing (rightly) that Monk is the father of just about all you know and love, but haven't had much actual ears-on experience with the real raw, this might *not* be the place to start.
Listen, all Monk sounds like Monk. Barry Harris said he heard Monk read down a piece of sheet music, note-for-note "...and that sounded like Monk." And quite frankly, there isn't bad Monk and good Monk.... it's all good. (I think Chopin is the only other composer I know who produced such a high percentage of immortal works). But this is challenging and VERY deep. The unfathomable yet inevitable title track, the wry, dry Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues Are, the moving Pannonica, and the enigmatic Bemsha Swing are here. A true masterpiece by one of jazz's most personal voices. Buy this 5th.
See It In Sound. Esquivel. (Comp 1999, BMG). Wow, what a freakout. The first thing that comes to mind is how much modern bossa-heavy crews like UFO, Jazzanova, (and on a lesser level, Dimitri from Playboy... I mean Paris) owe to this master. He is the blueprint for a lot of what's going down on the list nowdays.
The second thing is to quick grab the phone and call for a friend, stir up some icy-chilly gin/vodka-oriented drinks, and set the mood for some "heterosexual oppression." (Do I make you horny, baby.... do I?) But wait a second.... time warp!!! It's 2000, for goodness sake! Take off those slippers!
The third thing is, how seriously should we take Esquivel? Well, considering most of the music on this compilation was recorded 40 years ago and it sounds like it was recorded tomorrow, DAMN seriously, as it turns out. A genius? A wierdo? The unforgiveable kitsch king? Get this record, and you'll enjoy figuring it all out by yourself. The most fun you can have with your ears open. Wow.
(By the way, in terms of engineering and recording techniques, it really makes one wonder why Sgt. Pepper created all the fuss it did along those lines. Astonishing techniques here.)
Dark Grooves, Mystical Rhythms. James Hurt. Blue Note, 1999. OK, on the cover, he's working some Bootsy Collins type gear. He's got Sun Ra - 4 Hero titles like Eleven Dreams, Pyramid, and The Tree of Life. Inside, he's sportin the Sylk 130 vibe. So, ya turn it on and..... oh damn, acoustic jazz. Blue Note and samplers go together like black and white people in a McDonald's commercial.... (psssst... not at all.)
But hold on a second. Give it another listen. This is actually not bad. Drummer Art Hoenig (never heard of him... anyone?) is rocking very nicely, and Francis Moutin is digging in on bass. Hurt himself is an unpretentious, funky piano player.... not as slick or modern as Herbie, and not as funky Wynton Kelly, nevertheless... it's allright. Uneven.... but with a little life.
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