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Drummer Ben Riley played with Thelonious Monk in one of the pianist/composer's finest bands, the indefatigable quartet of the mid-60s, and Riley has been one of Monk’s greatest advocates ever since, including this sparkling, joyous septet. Don Sickler wrote the arrangements for the band, devising an original approach to orchestrating Monk without a piano by combining guitar with his own trumpet and three saxophones, often to mimic Monk's original accompaniments. The resulting clarity highlights Riley's subtly propulsive drumming and a general fidelity to Monk's style of melodic improvisation, most notably by newcomer Wayne Escoffery on tenor. Along with some of Monk's best-known tunes ("Rhythm-A-Ning" and "Straight, No Chaser" stand out), the band offers fine versions of three witty and obscure gems that Monk wrote for a 1955 Gigi Gryce session: "Gallop’s Gallop," "Brake’s Sake," and "Shuffle Boil." They're evidence of Riley and Sickler's thoughtful and thorough appreciation of modern jazz's greatest composer. --Stuart Broomer
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0888072300958
Label: Concord Records
Manufacturer: Concord Records
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Concord Records
Release Date: 2006-10-31
Studio: Concord Records
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: One Of The Worst Tributes To Monk I've Heard Yet
Comment: Ben Riley is a monster drummer. His work with Monk in the 60s was stellar. Riley has participated in many of these tribute albums, but the only one that really caught my attention was the one he did with Charlie Rouse called "Four In One," which was comprised of Kenny Barron on piano, Rouse on saxophone, Riley on drums, and Buster Williams on bass. This was an excellent tribute to pick up instead of this one.
My problem with with album isn't the fact that it's a pianoless quartet, but rather a mundane take on some of Monk's originals. Much of the music is way too busy to be appreciated because of the over abundance of horns that sound very unnatural. This recordiing just didn't flow like Monk's music. It just seemed way too forced.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Corners
Comment: Now here's a tribute album with a twist... Riley & Co. play the music of Thelonious Monk in a pianoless septet. Instead of having a pianist do a second rate Monk imitation, 4 horns and a guitar are used to reproduce Monk's inimitable piano voicings. Ben Riley is in fine form, and trumpeter Don Sickler's arrangements really make Monk's tunes sound completely original, making the album much more than a tribute. Rudy Van Gelder's engineering is also top notch; the mix sounds like a sensual massage for the ears. A stellar package. Any Monk or jazz fan will eat this up.
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