Thelonious Monk: 'Bremen, 1965'

For the first time, an official release by Sunnyside using the German radio tapes

On the evening of March 8, 1965, the Thelonious Monk Quartet was in Bremen, Germany, to perform at the Sendesaal Concert Hall. This group was stellar, with Monk on piano, Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums. [Photo above of Thelonious Monk by Herb Snitzer]

Bremen was a stop in the early days of a long global tour. The quartet had just arrived from Paris, where they had kicked off the tour over the two previous nights.

Now, for the first time, this wonderful concert has been officially released (vs. bootlegs) and can be heard in full thanks to Sunnyside Records, which was able to access the original source tapes held by Radio Bremen and master them. The sonic quality of this two-disc set Thelonious Monk: Bremen 1965 is excellent, and Monk and the group are in superb form.

Monk first encountered Rouse in Washington, D.C., in the late 1940s. He was on tour with Coleman Hawkins, heard Rouse play and jotted down his name. In 1958, Monk called Rouse to join his quartet, which Rouse did. The pairing was perfect.

They both were on the same wavelength in terms of fracturing a song and reassembling it in a jagged, glorious way. While Monk’s articulation was playful, Rouse had a bossy attack that channeled Coleman Hawkins.

Initially, Monk used Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. Others came and went until Monk brought in John Ore on bass and Frankie Dunlop on drums in 1961. On the group’s 1964 tour, Monk used Butch Warren on bass and Ben Riley on drums. By the fall of ‘64, Gales had replaced Warren in Monk’s working group and the 1965 world tour foursome was set.

I honestly can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a live Monk recording as much as this Bremen concert. The quartet is firing on all cylinders, and Monk’s delivery is sly, fluid and impeccable. Rouse is equally tight and richly inventive.

Best of all, you can hear Gales and Riley as clear as day. On many live Monk recordings that used inferior miking and recording gear, your ears have to reach hard to find them.

The tracks:

• Criss Cross

• Sweet and Lovely

• Well You Needn’t

• Don’t Blame Me

• Epistrophy

• Just You, Just Me

• I’m Getting Sentimental Over You

• Rhythm-a-Ning

• Epistrophy (theme)

Rouse and Monk would part in January 1970, a split that wasn’t due to a falling out. Monk’s career was winding down coupled with health issues. His last studio recordings as a leader would come in November 1971.

On the live side, Monk would become part of the Giants of Jazz, an all-star bebop touring group that featured Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding, Sonny Stitt, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey. I saw this sextet at Carnegie Hall in 1972 when I was 15.

Rouse would continue to record as a leader and sideman.

Thelonious Monk died in 1982 and Charlie Rouse died in 1988, both at age 64.

To buy in multiple formats, go here.

One of the album’s many high points is the opening track, on which all members have an extended solo. Here’s Criss Cross…

And here’s Monk’s solo rendition of Don’t Blame Me…