The Yerba Buena Center was the first performance space that I visited for the San Francisco Jazz Festival. It as a number of years ago and Yusef Lateef was performing there with Adam Rudolph. Who was it that came onstage to introduce the giant of jazz, non other than my hero producer, Orrin Keepnews!
I will 100% guarantee that if you see Orrin’s name on any recording as a producer, the music is definitely a winner. This fine gentleman of jazz has been in close proximity of the finest masters of this music and when he speaks, his words are platinum. His story is history.
This is a listening party and this is exactly what is audience will do is listen while Orrin Keepnews does a one on one with Randall Klein, the director of the SF Jazz organization. The conversations are casual but, there is much insight behind the man who produced legendary music. This conversation will include some lived footage and some pieces of Monks music as they will be qued-up and ready to play at the drop of a hat.
This first clip we see is of Monk walkin’ down the streets of NYC and many people come up to him with warm praise, affection and admiration. It was a day in the life of a master just starting to be widely recognized for his genius talents and lovin’ every minute of it. Orrin says that Monk was on stage even when he wasn’t on stage. They worked on many recordings over a six year period. There have been a few documentaries done, “Straight No Chaser” being the best. Clint Eastwood became executive director of the film which came out after “Bird”, the one done on the great Charlie Parker.
Charlie Parker: A Studio Chronicle
Orrin and Monk were close in age in the mid 50’s early 60’s and they each had a child about the age of six, one named Peter and the other named Boo Boo or Thelonious Sphere Monk Jr., whichever you prefer!
We get to see a second film clip and this piece takes us to
travels in
“Monk Plays Ellington” in 1955 was one of the first
recordings that Orrin and Monk had ever worked on together and the last was one
done at the famous Black Hawk which was right here in
Alfred invited Orrin up the house for a small private party and introduced him to Thelonious. Orrin quite frankly was not familiar with the “High Prestice of Bop” and at first, like many, did not think too much of the music. But, once he heard the self titled tune, “Thelonious”, intrigue set in and he asked Thelonious if he would like to do an interview which they did. That was the beginning.
Orrin went on to start Riverside Records which just happened
to be at a time when Monk was having difficulty with his current recording
company Prestige Records. When Orrin contacted Monk about coming to
Monk was the beginning of Riverside Records. Orrin had the idea of doing a collection of standards so that people could come to know Monk playing through the sound of these standards and since Thelonious loved The Duke, “Monk Plays Ellington” was the first release. I would not quite say “It Don’t Mean a Thing” because it did and after a few of these releases of standards, Monk began to record with more than just a trio. The sounds of be-bop horns turned trios into quartets, quintets and so on.
Sonny Rollins came on board and they recorded “Brilliant
Corners”. Lucky enough for
There were those who appreciated Monks
contributions to the
music and those who did not but in the end, the music becomes beautiful
for
everyone. Once people spend their time listening with open ears the
"Evidence" becomes evident. Orrin did a solo album with Monk and
because he thought it was
important for Monk to express himself without any accompaniment. No
matter how
musical you are, no one came close to a complete expression of
thoughts, ideas
and concepts as Monk himself.
The “Town Hall” recording became quite famous. Paul Overton transcribed Monks work for a larger ensemble and the band was packed with some really heavy hitters. Donald Byrd, Pepper Adams, Eddie Bert, Sam Jones, Arthur Taylor and many others took the music to a much higher level. Orrin was recording the performance on tapes that were not the longest in length. In order to capture everything, he had one of the cats on stage, I think it was Charlie Rouse, give him a signal before they started so that they could start and stop the tape in the recording booth to save space. This worked for the first couple of tunes but, once the cats got into the music, Charlie forgot all about the cues and the tape ran out. They had to record “Little Rudy Tootie” over again and what you hear on the album is a mixture of both takes.
Just like everyone, we all have a thing when it comes to the names of Monk compositions. As clever, thoughtful, genius, spiritual, insightful and intriguing as you think they may be, if you looked deep inside to the most simplistic of situations, you might find that perhaps they are just that. I never knew that “Worry Later” meant worry about the name of the tune later and that “Think of One” was Monk actually asking Orrin to think of a name for that tune. As simple as some of the titles may be, there is no denying that simple and complex occupy the same linear space in the music making it not just the shortest distance between to points but, in fact the question is already answered before it is even asked allowing so much to be said the silence. For instance, think of a fisherman who loves to fish. He makes no money but, he is happy and he feeds his family. Should he start a company to sell the fish, get stockholders, make large profits, become a fortune 500 company, sell the company only to retire and spend the rest of his life doing what he already loves? You see the dilemma. When a man has already figured this out and just plays the music, there are no questions to ask. When you get some time off, take a “San Francisco Holiday” and perhaps you can “Think of One”.
Life, love, music, Thelonious Monk!
LeRoy Downs
