As admired and as influential as Thelonious Monk's piano playing was, his fascinating, jagged style wasn't often imitated. Monk's original compositions, however, were quick to become jazz standards and were played and recorded nearly as often as songs by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. But unlike Bud Powell, whose piano style was incorporated by many artists, few dared to play like Monk. Sure, there might be a Monkian figure here or there as a tribute, but most pianists wouldn't dare mimic him for fear of being considered an impersonator. [Photo above of Stan Tracey]
One artist who did lean hard into Monk's keyboard style was Britain's Stan Tracey. I last posted about him in August (here), when I recommended Jazz Suite Inspired by Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood" (1965) and Alice in Jazz Land (1966), a big band album. In addition, I featured a documentary on Tracey in the same post. [Photo above, from left, pianist Stan Tracey, drummer Tony Crombie and bassist Kenny Napper listening to a studio playback]
Now, the U.K.'s ReSteamed Records has released The Stan Tracey Trio: The 1959 Sessions. The eight unissued tracks were recorded in London and feature Kenny Napper (b) and Tony Crombie (d) on the first four standards. The rest feature Napper (b) and Phil Seamen (d). On Street of Themes, the seventh track, Tracey also plays vibraphone. The material surfaced recently on 1/4-inch tapes that had languished on a shelf for nearly 60 years and were almost discarded during a studio clear-out. They appear to have been an unrealized followup to Tracey's album, Little Klunk, recorded months earlier in May 1959 for British Vogue.
When you listen to this album, it's key to get beyond the Monk comparison. While Tracey had a similar feel, his sound was all his own, using Monk's lurching, percussive playing more as an articulation or springboard rather than a direct lift. Instead, focus on Tracey's longer, glamorous lines and his use of space and softer chord voicings. If you let the album play a few times, you'll find that Tracey's piano will grow on you and take on a life of its own, combining Monk's flavor with his own jazz approach. [Photo above of Stan Tracey on piano, Kenny Napper on bass and Tony Crombie on drums at London's Metro Club in 1959]
Stan Tracey died in 2013.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find The Stan Tracey Trio: The 1959 Sessions here.
JazzWax clips: Here's Jumpin' With Symphony Sid, with Napper and Crombie...
And here's Moonlight in Vermont...
