In Walked Thelonious

In Walked Thelonious Artist: Walter Davis Jr.
Label: Mapleshade Records
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD


UPC: 735561563120
EAN: 0735561563120
ASIN: B000000JMJ


Release Date: 1995-02-09

Related Categories:

Bebop General Bebop General
Related | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music
General General
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Modern Postbebop Modern Postbebop
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
General General
Related | Pop | Styles | Music
Bebop & Post-Bop Bebop & Post-Bop
Related | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

Tracks:

  1. Green Chimneys
  2. Crepuscule With Nellie
  3. Gallop's Gallop
  4. Ask Me Now
  5. 'Round Midnight (l)
  6. Trinkle Twinkle
  7. Ruby, My Dear
  8. Monk's Mood
  9. Off Minor
  10. Panonica
  11. Bye-Ya
  12. Ugly Beauty
  13. Criss Cross
  14. Portrait Of An Eremite (AKA Reflections)
  15. 'Round Midnight (ll)

Similar Items:

  1. The Offering

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars One of a kind (well, no more than two).......2007-01-21

It's somewhat surprising that Walter Davis. Jr., regarded as closer to the mind and music of Bud Powell than perhaps any other pianist, would select Thelonious for this solo piano project. To say that he's "channeling" Monk might be doing the performer an injustice, overlooking the hours of study and woodshedding required by Walter to make the session as true to the presiding genius as possible.

Going with no fewer than 15 Monk compositions, Walter makes these Monk tunes more accessible to the pianist, the Monk fan, and the patient listener than Monk himself. As a pianist, I go to these performances as a reference point on Monk.

The producer/engineer, Pierre M. Sprey, provides insightful liner notes about Walter himself, a musician so engrossed in his muse that he practically invited untreated diabetes and high blood pressure to take him from us at a relatively early age. One area Sprey (unfortunately most critics as well) neglects to say anything about is the extraordinary compositional genius of Davis Jr. (yet to be equalled, to my ears). Although his initial recording session, "Davis Cup," is disappointing, he would in the 1970s contribute to the Art Blakey book the most original and exciting compositions performed by the Messengers and, for that matter, most other ensembles (counting Golson's tunes, Miles, Weather Report, etc.).

5 out of 5 stars True to the spirit of Monk.......2002-12-18

While this album is not a self-conscious imitation of Monk, it does sound uncannily like Monk himself. In the liner notes, Davis says that he was "visited" by the late master Thelonious while working on the album, and I'm inclined to believe it.

Davis picked some of the hardest pieces from the Monk songbook, and there are a few I had never heard before.

Highly recommended for Monk fans, and anyone who wants to hear some first-rate solo versions of some of Monk's more intricate tunes.

Music CD:

  1. A Sound of Distinction ~ Willie Smith
  2. Concerto for Joe ~ Joe Temperley
  3. Duets (1987) ~ Anthony Braxton & Gino Robair
  4. Violin Jazz 1927-1934 ~ Joe Venuti
  5. The Best Of Charlie Barnet
  6. Side by Side ~ Tom Grant, Valerie Day
  7. Finally Elijah ~ Elijah Levi
  8. Crossroads ~ Jeff Berlin
  9. Poll Winners: Exploring the Scene ~ Poll Winners
  10. The Complete Prestige Recordings ~ Dexter Gordon

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

The Carnival ~ Wyclef Jean

Life Courage Death ~ Big Mo

Is the Actor Happy? ~ Vic Chesnutt

Anthology ~ Ocean Colour Scene

The Best of the Doors ~ The Doors

Balance ~ Truth in Advertisement

Con Amor Eterno ~ Pandora

Lookin' Back ~ Jesse James

Too Much Weight ~ Too Much Trouble

Ain't No Shame in My Game ~ Candyman