Recommended by Ms. Cappuccino: the 8th report on "Thelonious Monk Seminar on Scores" held on Sunday July 31st, 2005, 12:00-15:00 I participated in the "Thelonious Monk Seminar on Scores" held at Jazz Club Over Seas. Mr. Terai, the only pupil of Tommy Flanagan, is a Detroit hard bop romantic jazz pianist, while the master Tommy Flanagan is a Detroit hard bop cool pianist. Although there are a variety of jazz performance methods, nobody can do without Bud Powel of bebop if he/she would like to play the hard bop piano. So I report on the world of Thelonious Monk, who is the master of Bud Powel. Mr. Terai told his pupils to take notes because they will become to understand the "Scores" later on even if they do not immediately understand them. |
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First shown on the slides were Thelonious Monk's photo, his photo with Bud Powel, another photo with Baroness Nica (Pannonica), and a photo of "Astroboy." Why was the photo of "Astroboy" here? Later on I had my eyes opened. As an opening, we listened to the sessions of "Don't blame me" by Super Sax & LA Voices, looking through the scores and lyrics shown on the slides. (Incidentally, the manager of a jazz specialty shop Mimura said there was no CD of this album and also no plan to be released .) I hear this saxophone group played the melody by completely copying the performance by Charlie Parker. It was said that they were playing after practicing hard and creating their original touch. Why did Mr. Terai show the "lyrics" on purpose? It was because he wanted to emphasize the saxophone performance that could remind the listeners of many phrases of the lyrics while they were listening to the sessions. (Comment by Mr. Terai: "I wanted the pupils to think about how much effort Super Sax & LA Voices had made to play!") Regarding the saxophone, even a rank amateur like me knows the name of John Coltrane. Though the most popular album of his seems to be "Ballad," I prefer "Giant Steps." In my opinion, there should be "taste for lyrics" even in performance on an instrument. I thought the reason for showing the lyrics was for listeners to question if the performers knew deeply the meaning of the lyrics and if the performers were playing as if singing the "lyrics." |
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As the seminar went on, the world of Thelonious Monk was gradually introduced. Here came "Astroboy." When Mr. Terai asked if there were people who knew the theme song of "Astroboy," the young people did not seem to know it. So Mr. Terai played the song by himself. In my childhood, I used to feel the beginning of this theme song was expressing something like a wonderland. This beginning was played in the "whole tone scale" by Thelonious Monk. It was composed of the diatonic scale. If you have the album, please listen to it making the stylus fall down. (The photo is reused from a back issue of Hi-Fi Do Online Newsletters. The album contains the recording of the theme song of "Astroboy" in the broadcasted version.) |
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As a learner of the classic piano knows, we are taught to play the piano with the palms curved a little bit inward as if enclosing an egg in each palm. However, Thelonious Monk played the piano with his fingers being straight. This touch did not seem correct. Mr. Monk, who refined the chord change rather than studied technique, was not said to be a technician but was said to be a composer who is familiar with theories. (I hear many pianos of jazz clubs in those days were not tuned and were in terrible conditions.) |
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Then we listened to "Ruby My Dear." Of course there was an explanation on the scores because it was the "Seminar on Scores." Though I did not understand it at all, I did not care about it. Thelonious Monk played a descending scale at the beginning like a roller coaster rushing down. It was said that he only played a descending scale, not ascending. Those who play an ascending whole tone scale are said to be only Tommy Flanagan and Mr. Terai. His touch like a "woodpecker" was also a feature of Monk's play, but I did not like it so much. That sounded like a scream in my head. In comparison, we listened to "Ruby My Dear" played by John Coltrane. Although Mr. Terai said the Monk's ad lib was good, he criticized the play by Coltrane, saying, "It is a performance which smells like an incense stick at the time of Bon (the Buddhist Feast of Lanterns of the Dead). The ascending phrase is no good." He also said "Ruby My Dear" by Coltrane sounded as if saying "Ruby Dare-ya-nen" (meaning "Ruby, who are you?" in Osaka dialect). Next, we listened to "Ruby My Dear" by Tommy Flanagan, the master of Mr. Terai. It was graceful. Mr. Terai said that he would like to play like Flanagan. (The photo is reused from the database of the past information.) |
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Then we studied the scores of "Off Minor" as well. Monk's hobby was table tennis and his play was like a ping-pong phrase. It was interesting. In comparison, we also listened to the album "Thelonica" by Tommy Flanagan and took a recess. After the recess, we listened to "In Walked Bud" well performed by Sir Roland Hana and we studied "Thelonious" listening to it contained in the album "Thelonica" by Flanagan. I had previously watched a DVD featuring Thelonious Monk, in which he appeared as an interesting person. His dressing was always unique with various caps and his behavior was eccentric. I had first thought he was mentally ill, but it is also said that his behavior was a pretense to be shown toward mass media. (The photo shows the album "Thelonica" which Mr. Terai used in the seminar.) |
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I had first answered not to participate in the "Seminar on Scores," but changed my mind and participated because Mr. Terai said to me, "The very writers and beginners should take part in this seminar." I was able to get something useful. The seminar was full of sessions and episodes that were available only at Over Seas. I borrow and place such materials like a chronological table on Thelonious Monk that were made for the seminar. The next seminar is scheduled to be about Bud Powel. How about taking part in as a visitor? For more information, look at the following website of Over Seas: http://www.jazzclub-overseas.com Reference books recommended: "Thelonious Monk/His Life and Music" by Thomas Fitterling. The Japanese edition is translated by Makoto Goto and published by Keisoshobo (Retail price: \3,990 including consumption tax). |
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Information from the Editorial Staff The DVD featuring Thelonious Monk will be presented as "CDs recommended by Kon & Cappu." For more information, look at the following website: http://www.hifido.co.jp/merumaga/koncappu/050812/indexe.html |