Cover of the album being discussed (courtesy of Concord Music)
A few days ago Concord Music released a remastered monaural recording of an album of Gerry Mulligan and Thelonious Monk that probably deserves to be called “classic.” The title of the album was simply Mulligan Meets Monk, and Amazon.com has created a Web page for downloading all six of the tracks. Some may find that skimpy; but, where Monk improvisations are concerned, just about every minute is an adventure in discovery! Mind you, the relationship between Mulligan and Monk is clearly a cordial one; and each of them has his own approach to improvising. However, from my own personal point of view, Monk is the primary reason for listening to this album!
To be fair, however, my interest in Monk has always been enthusiastic. This goes all the way back to my student days, when a visit to Manhattan almost aways meant going by the Village Vanguard to listen to Monk perform, usually in trio sets. As a result, when the fifteen-CD Complete Riverside Recordings box set was released, I wasted no time in adding it to my collection. I therefore have to confess that this is my preferred release, since it includes three alternate takes for “I Mean You” and two each for “Straight, No Chaser” and “Decidedly” (Mulligan’s “transmogrification” of Charlie Shavers’ “Undecided”). If I am going to get my head around the inventive approaches of both Mulligan and Monk, I need as much background as I can muster!
That said, most readers will probably be content with the remastered versions of the album’s six tracks. Opportunities to listen to a major composer perform his/her own work are few, even in current times. Even those that prefer the classical genre are likely to find engaging performance tropes on this reissue.
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