BNJ-61012

Thelonious Monk And Milt Jackson

Released - February 21,1985

Recording and Session Information

Apex Studios, NYC, July 2, 1948
Milt Jackson, vibes; Thelonious Monk, piano; John Simmons, bass; Shadow Wilson, drums; Kenny 'Pancho' Hagood, vocals.

BN326-3 All The Things You Are
BN327-1 I Should Care (alternate take)
BN327-2 I Should Care

WOR Studios, NYC, July 23, 1951
Sahib Shihab, alto sax #1; Milt Jackson, vibes #1; Thelonious Monk, piano; Al McKibbon, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

BN393-1 Criss-Cross (alternate take)
BN396-0 Ask Me Now (alternate take)

WOR Studios, NYC, April 7, 1952
Lou Donaldson, alto sax #2,3; Milt Jackson, vibes; John Lewis, piano; Percy Heath, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums.

BN425-2 tk.11 What's New (alternate take)
BN426-0 tk.14 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
BN426-1 tk.15 Don't Get Around Much Anymore (alternate take)

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
All The Things You Are	Hammerstein-Kern	July 2 1948
I Should Care (Alternate Master)	Cahn-Stardahl-Winston	July 2 1948
I Should Care	Cahn-Stardahl-Winston	July 2 1948
Ask Me Now (Alternate Master)	Thelonious Monk	July 23 1951
Side Two
Criss Cross (Alternate Master)	Thelonious Monk	July 23 1951
What's New (Alternate Master)	Haggart-Burke	April 7 1952
Don't Get Around Much Anymore	Duke Ellington	April 7 1952
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Alternate Master)	Duke Ellington	April 7 1952

Liner Notes

Milt Jackson first came into the Blue Note sphere as a sideman on Thelonious Monk's fourth and fifth dates for the label in July of 1948 and 1951. His only other appearances would by his own session of April 7, 1952, and a Hank Mobley date on January 13, 1957 (BLP 1544).

Although variations of what was to be the Modern Jazz Quartet formed inside of Dizzy Gillespie's band and on several early Jackson dates, it was his April, 1952 dates for Blue Note and for Hi-Lo (now Savoy) that marked the stable personnel that would become the MJQ by the end of that year. On the Blue Note date, Lou Donaldson was added for several tunes.

All but three performances appear on BLP 1509. The other three are the master of "Don't Get Around Much Anymore", which was originally issued on 78, and alternate takes of that tune and "What's New". All three were once issued on a US double album (BN-LA-590-H2 and feature a swinging group that was not hampered by the later pretensions of the MJQ, which seemed preoccupied with chamber music and tuxedos. This is a band more rooted in its past with Gillespie than in its future as the premier third stream group of the fifties concert circuit.

From these sides, we jump back in time to Monk's fifth date with Jackson, Sahib Shihab on alto, Art Blakey on drums and bassist Al McKibbon, who was close to the vibist, Lewis and Clarke in the Gillespie band. While this alternate take of "Cross Cross", which must be considered Monk's first true masterpiece, does not have the spirit and drive of the master, it is extraordinary for Monk's remarkable piano solo. From the start, he makes real use of the composition in his improvisations. The first full chorus belongs entirely to Jackson, while the piano and alto sax split the second.

Jackson's relationship with Monk was a very special one as has been noted elsewhere. Dan Morgenstern once wrote: "Jackson's ear is attuned to Monk's harmonic universe. He does not mind being guided by Monk's manner of accompanying". Andre Hodeir accurately observed that "they managed to achieve a profound understanding."

Also from this session is an alternate take of the trio performance of "Ask Me Now". This take was probably nor used because it is a full two choruses, making it too long for a 78. But the composition comes alive here as Monk gets to solo for 16 bars before coming back to the theme. On the master, he solos for 8 bars and closes with 8 bars of theme, making the total performance one chorus and a half.

The remainder of the album is dedicated to Monk's fourth session (the first with Milt). These three tracks are oddities in that they feature vocalist Kenny Pancho Hagood, then the featured singer with Dizzy Gillespie. According to Lorraine Gordon, then wife of Alfred Lion, Monk was a very agreeable artist. When Lion mentioned that he would like to attempt a vocal 78, Monk had no objections. "All The Things You Are", which Monk often played live at that time, and "I Should Care" were cut and issued on 78. When a double album of Monk on Blue Note was being prepared in the mid seventies (BN-LA-579-H2), an alternate take of "I Should Care" was accidently used. So both versions are included here.

Hagood was a typical black baritone of the forties in the vein of Billy Eckstine and Herb Jeffries. Actually, it is quite amusing to compare his stiff phrasing with the adventurous, pliable, hip work of Monk and Jackson. They are not only the soloists, but display their empathy but sharing the accompaniment duties and reading each other's minds at all times. Listen on "All The Things You Are" how Milt starts an arpeggio at the end of the first 8 bars that Monk picks up midstream and carries through on the piano.

The alternate of "I Should Care" precedes the master. Monk's 8 bars solo is a piece of wizardry, but since Hagood anticipates the downbeat on Monk's intro, Blue Note decided to use the next take.

Although the very special relationship between Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk is one that would flourish rarely in the late forties and early fifties at short club engagements and impromptu jam sessions, the fruits of that relationship have thankfully been preserved permanently in the archives of Blue Note. This album is a welcome chapter. Unfortunately it marks the final chapter, except for the Miles Davis all star session of Christmas Eve, 1954.

-MICHAEL CUSCUNA