Here’s a great live album of Thelonious Monk and his one-performance orchestra. The videos below will fill the Jazz Con Class listeners with more detail. The official name of the album is “Thelonious Monk and his Orchestra at Town Hall.” Orrin Keepnews was the founder of Riverside Records and since then has sold the rights to the Concord Music Group. Here’s a link to all the Keepnews albums that are available for purchase. Thelonious Monk’s orchestra consists of: Thelonious Monk (piano); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Robert Nothern (French horn); Eddie Bert (trombone); Jay McAllister (tuba); Sam Jones (bass); Art Taylor (drums). Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Robert “Brother Ah” Northern (French horn); Eddie Bert (trombone); Jay McAllister (tuba); Sam Jones (bass guitar); Art Taylor (drums). Its so unusual and even awkward to see these Jazz greats sitting down and playing their instruments. Check the schedule link for play times, enjoy!
About the album:
Recorded live at Town Hall, New York, New York on February 28, 1959. Originally released on Riverside (1138). Includes liner notes by Orrin Keepnews. Digitally remastered by Joe Tarantino (1989, Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California). Numerous Thelonious Monk live dates were released during his career (and posthumously), but 1959’s THE THELONIOUS MONK ORCHESTRA AT TOWN HALL is one of the finest. In large part the album stands out for the novelty of hearing Monk play with a large ensemble. The tentet featured here has the guts and punch of a big band, but the agility of a small group (a necessary quality when rendering Monk’s complex, angular tunes). The program features some of the legend’s finest compositions…….Read More
Video about the Town Hall concert (Part One):
And Part Two:
