Thelonious Monk / Sonny Rollins

I put on this record, not knowing what to expect, who’s playing on what, what songs are within, and the horn sound almost immediately knocked me over—that Sonny Rollins tenor sax, I guess—the way it’s recorded—that tone. I never heard anything like that coming from my low-budget stereo, it’s like the song made it into one of those million-dollar stereos, you know. First there’s a couple of standards—Sonny Rollin Quartet, with Thelonious Monk on piano. Then there’s a couple of Monk compositions I’m well familiar with (“Work” and “Nutty”) with a trio—great versions. Then finally, the oddball, Monk, number, called “Friday the Thirteenth”—this one is a quintet, with Sonny Rollins, as well as Julius Watkins on French Horn. The excellent liner notes tell the story of the song—a studio date on Friday, November 13, 1953—Watkins was a last minute replacement and hadn’t previously seen the music. Monk and Rollins were late due to an automobile accident. What was the mood like at the session? Maybe you can hear it preserved in the track—it’s a pretty weird song! Would anyone believe me if I said if I heard the song not knowing the title, I might have guessed “Friday the Thirteenth?” It sounds like autumn, maybe Halloween, maybe a group of oddballs, all dressed very differently, walking downtown, right down the avenue. I don’t have a sophisticated vocabulary for talking about jazz, so that’s the best I can do!

Again, a reminder that Thelonious Monk is my favorite musician. I’ve tried to explain in the past how his music makes me feel—his compositions, but especially his playing. I always fail at it, so I’m not going to repeat myself. But there’s no one like him. I can’t listen to him all the time, though, too intense—I have to be fully involved when I listen, and there’s not a lot of room for much else—like dinner or visiting—it’s got to be just me and the music. The liner notes on this record are kind of nuts There’s a couple of paragraphs in a small font, and then seven more paragraphs in an even smaller font—credited to Ira Gitler. At one point there’s a real gem, describing Monk: “His playing can be characterized by roast beef, and a martini in which vermouth plays a very minor supporting role; much meat and very dry.” The food and cocktail analogies go a long way with me.

I really like this album cover, styled after abstract art—or maybe it is abstract art—I mean, of course it is—but I’m not sure if it was art before it was an album cover. (There is a name, almost hidden: “Hannan”—could be Tom Hannan.) Red and black marks on a white background, and then “Thelonious Monk” and “Sonny Rollins” in hand painted font. Anyway, it’s exactly what a jazz album cover from 1956 should look like. The back cover has musician credits and recording dates and liner notes. Jazz. This is my kind of record. I wish I had a hundred records that were this good and similar to this. I can’t say it’s “all I would listen to”—but maybe it is. But I can’t afford jazz records—I have no idea where I got this one. It’s pretty beat up, so that’s probably why I was able to buy it—but it plays great, sounds amazing. Apparently, it’s a 1983 reissue, Prestige label, distributed by Fantasy. Sounds amazing, clear as fucking horn in my room!

11.15.24