Comments on: Thelonius Monk movie http://rogerbourland.com/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/ Roger Bourland writes about music and life Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:19:13 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Roger Bourland http://rogerbourland.com/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-46398 Roger Bourland Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:24:24 +0000 http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/#comment-46398 Brad: I've got all these Apple Loops at my disposal that would be VERY easy to put with ol' Tony's ditties. PK: as Gunther has been a hero of mine for a long time, I'll take that as a compliment! Brad: I’ve got all these Apple Loops at my disposal that would be VERY easy to put with ol’ Tony’s ditties.

PK: as Gunther has been a hero of mine for a long time, I’ll take that as a compliment!

]]> By: PK http://rogerbourland.com/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-46397 PK Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:01:10 +0000 http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/#comment-46397 Monk is such a joy, most particularly (for me) his original compositions. Still, the carefully weighed substitutions he uses in <i>Just a Gigalo</i>, while maintaining such an anchor in the original melody, is a lesson on taste. It was Ran Blake at NEC, who really stuck my nose in Monk, and from decades later I can see how Ran's playing was so completely informed with the same careful intentionality. Hearing your joy in this music, while reflecting that you <i>are</i> a chair at a major university, makes my heart sing for those lucky enough to be entering your school. That same, truly eclectic, nature was, perhaps, what made Gunther Schuller so special at NEC. Monk is such a joy, most particularly (for me) his original compositions. Still, the carefully weighed substitutions he uses in Just a Gigalo, while maintaining such an anchor in the original melody, is a lesson on taste. It was Ran Blake at NEC, who really stuck my nose in Monk, and from decades later I can see how Ran’s playing was so completely informed with the same careful intentionality.

Hearing your joy in this music, while reflecting that you are a chair at a major university, makes my heart sing for those lucky enough to be entering your school. That same, truly eclectic, nature was, perhaps, what made Gunther Schuller so special at NEC.

]]> By: Brad Wood http://rogerbourland.com/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/comment-page-1/#comment-46391 Brad Wood Sun, 14 Oct 2007 07:11:55 +0000 http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/10/13/thelonius-monk-movie/#comment-46391 Not to take away from adoration of Monk, but I see I mentioned the original Michalski-Schauer "Webern's Greatest Hits" in this blog before (June 14, 2007). It's a K-TEL Records parody, done quite exquisitely, including brief snatches of actual performances ("You'll get Five Songs, Opus 4" [excerpt] etc.). "Put a little Klangfarben in your life..." At the end there is indeed some Webern with a disco beat background. Unfortunately what was done as a tape piece for a few friends back in less litigious times, led to a quarrel when Schauer wanted to release the thing and Michalski demurred out of copyright violation concerns. I gather that John S. went ahead and remade it. But I cherish my copy of the original. Not to take away from adoration of Monk, but I see I mentioned the original Michalski-Schauer “Webern’s Greatest Hits” in this blog before (June 14, 2007). It’s a K-TEL Records parody, done quite exquisitely, including brief snatches of actual performances (”You’ll get Five Songs, Opus 4″ [excerpt] etc.). “Put a little Klangfarben in your life…”

At the end there is indeed some Webern with a disco beat background.

Unfortunately what was done as a tape piece for a few friends back in less litigious times, led to a quarrel when Schauer wanted to release the thing and Michalski demurred out of copyright violation concerns. I gather that John S. went ahead and remade it. But I cherish my copy of the original.

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