Jazz | Pint | Monk Plays Ellington

I was listening to Pablo Held's interview with Ben Street earlier today (be sure check out Held's other interview too - great series), and had bass players on my mind when it came to tonight's listening. I didn't have anything in mind, but when I spotted the Monk set in the pile, the Oscar Pettiford/Kenny Clarke pairing was the first thing that came to mind. And here were are. Of Monk's discs on Riverside, it was be a toss up between Monk Plays Ellington and Brilliant Corners as to the album I've listened to the most. It just so happens that Pettiford is on both. (Thelonious Himself would more than likely be third if you're wondering). Pettiford and Clarke have such a great flow - it sounds effortless. As the bass was on my mind, I tended to focus in that direction tonight. Such clarity in his lines and his tone. Tonight, the brief moments when his walking lines moved into the higher register seemed to pop out at me. And the buoyancy of "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" really appeals to me. And the 3.57-4.10 mark during O.P's solo on "Caravan" always sticks out to me. Kenny Clarke is very understated throughout - in the best way possible. Economy of swing at its finest. Fantastic brush playing. Actually, he spends the vast majority of the album on brushes. The sticks aren't missed at all (they make a brief appearance on "Caravan"). Super tasty. Of course it's not just O.P and Klook grooving - Monk plays his part too!

The Houblon is not by favourite of the Chouffe beers, but it made a change and I hadn't had one in ages (actually it was my first Chouffe since moving home). Maybe not a great match with the music, but it really didn't matter.

Impact Records: Our Man In Paris

It's been a while since added to this series of the blog. Here are the previous entries - Kings of Swing, Kind Of Blue, Charlie Parker, Billie and Pres, Out To Lunch.

I picked up Dexter Gordon's Our Man In Paris (Blue Note) towards the end of my last year at high school or during the summer before heading to music school. I can't remember what led me to this album but it was on heavy rotation over the summer leading to the start of music school and I transcribed a few of the solos. Although I have played some of the tracks to students over the years it's not an album I return to often. Listening to it when I was working on this post was the first time I had given the album a run for quite some time. Back then I think I was drawn to the boldness of his tone and the excitement of the faster tracks (“Scrapple From The Apple,” “Broadway,” and “A Night In Tunisia” - I also had heard other artists play them). Now my attention was drawn to the ballad (“Stairway To The Stars”) and the track I don’t remember as a well as the others (“Our Love Is Hear To Stay"). I have mixed feelings about this album now - it's one of nostalgia rather than musical affinity. However, the shimmering cymbals of Kenny Clarke grabbed me and I feel I will likely return to the album for his playing alone – Klook plays great on the entire album.