What Jazz Means To Me

If I had to play somebody a disc epitomising my idea of what jazz was, it is tempting to think of the obvious and play them Kind Of Blue. But I would also be inclined to spin Monk's Music by the Thelonious Monk Septet. I came to own this disc as a vinyl album quite by chance at a young age, when it was jettisoned by my elder sister who had it as an unwanted gift from a would be beau. It was a fascinating glimpse into a sophisticatedly hip, cool world totally unlike late fifties / early sixties Britain and it was only later that I began to appreciate what a fine and important disc it was in its' own right. One of the main points of interest, apart from the remarkably singular approach of Monk himself on piano and the individuality of his compositions, was the contrast between elder statesman Coleman Hawkins and young turk John Coltrane on tenor sax. And how both had so much to bring in their different ways to the music. A top notch rhythm section of bassist Wibur Ware and drummer Art Blakey was augmented by Gigi Gryce on alto and Ray Copeland on trumpet to complete the septet. The six tracks from the original vinyl release are augmented on cd by four other tracks featuring Coltrane playing with Monk and a leisurely blues from the Monk's Music lineup minus Monk himself. The story behind the session and the taking of the iconic cover photo is detailed in Monk's biography and gives further insight into this superb document of the period.