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Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins (Remastered)

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Thelonious Monk And Sonny Rollins

 
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Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins (Remastered)
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  • We Say...

    Review by Britt Robson

    Monk's two-year stint on the Prestige label during the early '50s is easily the most underrated phase of his career. His collaborations with Rollins are a beguiling blend of two unmistakable, sharply contrasting sonic signatures: Monk's brittle, jauntily fractured pianism and Rollins' plush and roving stentorian tenor. Rollins takes the lead on the two standards "I Want To Be Happy" and Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight," in which the trademark buoyancy of the tenor's dip-and-canter phrases on the latter track are broken only briefly by Monk's stride-oriented solo. But on an extended version of Monk's "Friday the 13th," Rollins hews to the pianist's more judicious, idiosyncratic sway to great effect. Monk's own solos here are fascinating and multifaceted, and his comping and harmonic shading behind Rollins and Julius Watkins (on French horn) is inspired navigation.

    Despite the fruitful pairing of these two giants, the most durable gems here might be the two trio performances sans Rollins, "Work" and "Nutty," which reveal the essence of Monk's refractive phrases and perfectly positioned asides, which create something akin to a Cubist approach to melody without sacrificing blues roots or the capacity to swing. Percy Heath's probing tone and walking bass line have the organizational prowess of a maitre d' on "Nutty" and the sensitive, innovative accompaniment of Art Blakey is a revelation throughout the disc. Although best known for the hard bop of his Jazz Messengers, Blakey had an acute understanding of the textures, harmonies and rhythms Monk was after. He was for Monk what Dannie Richmond was for Mingus, and Elvin Jones was for Coltrane — a great, enabling foil in the drummer's chair.

  • They Say...

    Review by Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide

    This disc contains an all-star cast headed up by Thelonious Monk (piano) and includes some collaborative efforts with Sonny Rollins (tenor sax) that go beyond simply inspired and into a realm of musical telepathy. The five tunes included on Work are derived from three separate sessions held between November of 1953 and September of the following year. As is often the case, this likewise means that there are three distinct groups of musicians featured. Whether by design or happenstance, the tracks compiled for this EP present Monk in the favorable confines and settings of smaller combos, ranging from the intimacy of the Percy Heath (bass) and Art Blakey (drums) trio on "Nutty" as well as the equally grooving title track. Both utilize Monk's uncanny and distinct sense of melody and are conspicuous for Blakey's rollicking percussive contributions -- which, at times, become thrust between Monk's disjointed chord work. The larger quartet and quintet settings are equally as inventive, retaining the highly inventive atmosphere. However, the undeniable highlight is the interaction between Monk and Rollins. Leading off the disc is a definitive and freewheeling reading of the pop standard "The Way You Look Tonight." Equally as scintillating is "I Want to Be Happy," both of which are also highlighted by Art Taylor (drums) and Tommy Potter (bass). They provide a supple and unencumbered framework for the soloists to weave their inimitable and often contrasting contributions. The final track is the beautifully dissonant and extended "Friday the Thirteenth," which is ironically the first fortuitous collaboration between the two co-leads. Rollins is able to entwine a sinuous lead throughout Monk's contrasting chord counterpoint. Enthusiasts seeking additional tracks from these and the remainder of Monk's sessions during his brief residency with Prestige should consider the suitably titled four-CD Complete Prestige Recordings compilation.

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