Although this album is most widely known for its provocative embrace image, which depicts Monk equally a fictitious French Resistance fighter inward the Second World War, it contains a number of novel Monk compositions, some of which seem inward recorded cast solely on this album. This is the finally Monk album featuring the Thelonious Monk Quartet, in addition to the finally featuring Charlie Rouse (who appears on solely one-half the tracks, having missed a recording session to attend his father's funeral).
This free has long been considered Thelonious Monk's acknowledgement to the flourishing youth-oriented subculture from whence the collection takes its name. Certainly the Grammy-winning embrace fine art -- which depicts Monk equally a World War II French revolutionary toting an automatic weapon -- gave the institution to a greater extent than than the vivid swinging sounds inward the grooves to consider. Underground became Monk's penultimate studio album, equally good equally the finally free to characteristic the '60s quartet: Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Ben Riley (drums), in addition to Larry Gales (bass) behind Monk (piano). One of the motifs running throughout Monk's recording career is the revisitation of titles from his voluminous dorsum catalog. The tradition continues with the autobiographical leadoff track, "Thelonious." The directly recognizable stride pianoforte lines are delivered with the same urgency in addition to precision that they possessed over 2 decades before when he get-go recorded the rail for Blue Note. The presence of Charlie Rouse throughout the album is sure worth noting. "Ugly Beauty" best captures the sacred infinite in addition to musical rapport that he in addition to Monk shared. Each participant functions equally an extension of the other, creating solos that weave synchronically equally if performed yesteryear the same pair of hands. Newer material, such equally the playful "Green Chimneys" -- named after the schoolhouse Monk's miss attended -- equally good equally the unbalanced hypnotism of "Raise Four," asserts the timelessness in addition to relevance of Monk's build of bop. The disc ends equally it begins with a novel twist on an former favorite. Jon Hendricks -- who provides lyrics in addition to vocals on "In Walked Bud" -- recalls the hustle in addition to bustle of the existent in addition to spontaneous secret Harlem jam sessions of the piece of cake '40s. It is also an apt bookend to this chapter inward the professional person life of Thelonious Monk.
Underground was recorded inward 1967, nigh xx years into the career of this wholly distinctive in addition to unorthodox pianist-composer. Whenever the understated saxophone talents of Charlie Rouse accompany Thelonious Monk, 1 is assured of an invigorating ready of music--and this collection is no exception. Supported yesteryear Larry Gales on bass in addition to the inimitable Ben Riley on drums, Monk in addition to Rouse elaborate on immortal compositions similar "Ugly Beauty." On "In Walked Bud," the quartet is joined yesteryear singer Jon Hendricks. With jagged themes in addition to odd variations of meter in addition to key, Underground showcases an aging Monk's still-brilliant eccentricity on the piano. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 skillful fleck looser than much of Monk's before work, he in addition to Rouse infuse this appointment with their tag-team sense of humor in addition to unrelenting musical enthusiasm.
Definitely non what you'd label equally an inaccessible album, this album (which counts "Ugly Beauty", Monk's solely recorded waltz-time piece, alongside its works) constitutes inward essence a musical comeback for Monk, who at the fourth dimension had non released whatsoever albums with to a greater extent than than 4 original compositions since the mid-fifties (more than a decade before).
It's packed with industrial plant that attain from melancholic in addition to bluish ("Easy Street") to joyful ("Green Chimneys"); from "simple" in addition to straightforward (such equally the opening track, which really dates a pair of decades before) to complex in addition to filled with accents (such equally "Boo Boo's Birthday.")
All inward all, it's an exquisite piece of occupation of music that you lot tin tap your 24-hour interval away to or sit down downwards in addition to heed carefully to inward guild to disect it inward detail.
I got this CD equally a gift -- this was my introduction to Monk. First pair times I listened to it, I was shocked with his unique style, with his approach to jazz, in addition to with his compositions. The character of this tape is aught curt of stellar. Monk sounds fresh in addition to energized. He seems to locomote real well-synchronized with the relaxation of his band, in addition to they build magic. Every participant on this recording is terrific. The beat department is solid. The bass thespian does a few improvisations, specially on Ugly Beauty in addition to Green Chimneys, in addition to it is something you lot don't hear much of, at to the lowest degree non of this quality. These guys don't miss a beat. Monk is a genuinely creative thespian in addition to composer, in addition to this recording really showcases that.
I don't advise this tape equally an introduction to jazz, but if you lot taste jazz, this is a skillful house to start with Monk's work, inward my opinion. You may non teach into this tape until you lot build a pair passes at listening to it in addition to mayhap listening to other skillful jazz inward betwixt dissimilar attempts at this record. I experience that listening to Miles Davis really helped me appreciate Monk fifty-fifty more, equally weird equally this sounds.
I simply dearest this CD. I specially taste listening to it over a corking pair of headphones because it makes you lot experience similar it's simply you lot in addition to them, without whatsoever sort of disturbances or sounds from the exterior to distract you lot from catching in addition to enjoying every melody that emanates from this record.
Buy this remastered version with extra tracks. The audio couldn't locomote better, in addition to the extra tracks furnish to a greater extent than takes of the corking tunes that appeared originally on this record.
The remastered audio of Underground's reissue is much cleaner in addition to crisper. The songs were restored to the original recorded length in addition to in that place are a few bonus tracks added. Oh yeah, the album embrace is clearer in addition to closer (which is real important).
I grip with the reviewers that say this is non Monk at his peak, but regardless of that, I think this is 1 of his best albums. The musicians audio similar they are having fun performing in addition to the relaxed approach to the recording takes away from some of the intensity sometimes expressed inward some of the classic Monk albums.
There are some nifty liner notes including an explanation behind the album embrace in addition to the even surrounding the making of the album.
(about the editing)
I somewhat prefer the edited versions of these songs from the previous free because the songs experience concise to the compositions. That may upset some jazz purists, but frankly a decent solo tin teach lost inward the translation of the recording in addition to destination upwards pain the overall functioning in addition to composition. I think dorsum inward those days the musicians expected the solos to teach edited (it was a natural portion of the recording process). These "unedited" versions that nosotros hear inward these re-issues are non necessarily what the musicians intended equally the finally versions.
Overall, Thelonious Monk's Underground is a terrific album; 1 of his best in addition to I highly recommend checking it out- edited or unedited.
Track listing (later CD issue)
All songs composed yesteryear Thelonious Monk unless otherwise noted.
"Thelonious" – 3:13
"Ugly Beauty" – 3:17
"Raise Four" – 5:47
"Boo Boo's Birthday" – 5:56
"Easy Street" (Alan Rankin Jones) – 5:53
"Green Chimneys" – 9:00
"In Walked Bud" (Jon Hendricks, Monk) – 4:17
Personnel/Musicians
Thelonious Monk – piano
Charlie Rouse – tenor saxophone
Larry Gales – bass
Ben Riley – drums
Jon Hendricks – vocals on "In Walked Bud"
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