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T.S. Monk
Changing of the Guard
1993 Blue Note Records
1 Kelo
2 Changing of the Guard
3 Appointment in Milano
4 Monk's Dream
5 Dark Before Dawn
6 Doublemint
7 Mas
8 New York
9 Crepuscule With Nellie
10 K.D.
11 Middle of the Block
Drummer T.S. Monk's sextet has quickly become one of the top repertory bands of hard bop. They revive quite a few obscurities on their Blue Note CD, including such forgotten compositions as J.J. Johnson's "Kelo," and Clifford Jordan's "Middle of the Block," and Idrees Sulieman's "Doublemint," songs that are not exactly performed every day. They also perform more recent compositions by the likes of James Williams, Bobby Watson, Donald Brown and some of the bandmembers. Trumpeter Don Sickler's arrangements and transcriptions insure that the band plays the songs properly. With consistently inventive solos from Sickler, altoist Bobby Porcelli (who often takes honors), Willie Williams on tenorand soprano, pianist Ronnie Mathews and bassist Scott Colley, there is no weak link to this excellent sextet. The band adds to rather than merely copies the tradition. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Ronnie Mathews Piano
Bobby Porcelli Sax (Alto & Baritone) Flute
T.S. Monk Drums, Producer, Main Performer
Don Sickler Flugelhorn Trumpet
Willie Williams Sax (Soprano & Tenor)
Scott Colley Bass
Joe Ferla Engineer
Leonard Feather Liner Notes
Album Credits
Ronnie Mathews Piano
Bobby Porcelli Sax (Alto)
T.S. Monk Drums Main Performer
Don Sickler Producer Trumpet
Willie Williams Sax (Tenor)
Rudy Van Gelder Engineer
James Genus Bass
Take One
1991 Blue Note Records
1 Monaco
2 Skippy
3 Infra-Rae
4 Waiting
5 Boa
6 'Round Midnight
7 Jodi
8 Bear Cat
9 Capetown Ambush
10 Shoutin'
11 Minor's Holiday
12 Think of One
Drummer T.S. Monk's debut as a leader in jazz found him discarding his earlier R&B-ish music in favor of heading an impressive hard bop revival group. With trumpeter Don Sickler transcribing obscure songs from 1960s-era records, Monk and his band were able to perform little-played numbers by Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Idrees Sulieman, Elmo Hope, Walter Davis, Jr., Clifford Jordan, Donald Brown and Tommy Turrentine in addition to three by Monk's father Thelonious. Sickler and Monk are joined in the consistently exciting group by altoist Bobby Porcelli, Willie Williams on tenor, pianist Ronnie Mathews and bassist James Genus. The T.S. Monk Sextet was just beginning its long life with this recording; all of its CDs are highly recommended to hard bop fans. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Album Credits
Ronnie Mathews Arranger Piano
Bobby Porcelli Arranger Sax (Alto) Flute
T.S. Monk Arranger Drums Main Performer
Don Sickler Arranger Producer Trumpet
Willie Williams Sax (Soprano & Tenor) Flute
Scott Colley Bass
The Charm
1995 Blue Note Records
1 Budini
2 Dealer Takes Four
3 Jean Marie
4 Marvelous Marvin
5 Bolivar Blues
6 Highest Mountain
7 Rejuvenate
8 Just Waiting
9 Gypsy Folk Tale
T.S. Monk, by successfully keeping his sextet together as a regularly working outfit for several years, has been able to form a recognizable group sound in the hard bop tradition. Trumpeter Don Sickler's skills at transcribing charts from records has been a major asset and the band's emphasis of obscurities has resulted in a very fresh repertoire; certainly Buddy Montgomery's "Budini," Melba Liston's "Just Waiting," and even Walter Davis Jr.'s "Gypsy Folk Tales" would never qualify as standards. In addition to the older material (which includes an offbeat version of Thelonious Monk's "Bolivar Blues"), pianist Ronnie Mathews and altoist Bobby Porcelli have contributed newer pieces that fit the group's style. Although sometimes overlooked, T.S. Monk's sextet (which also includes Willie Williams on tenor and soprano and bassist Scott Colley) has no weak links and is one of the most consistently satisfying jazz groups from the mid-'90s. Their fine disc is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
T.S. Monk
House of Music
1981 Mirage Records
1 Bon Bon Vie (Gimme The Good Life)
2 Can't Keep My Hands To Myself
3 Candidate For Love
4 Hot Night In The City
5 House Of Music
6 Last Of The Wicked Romancers
7 Stay Free Of His Love
T.S. Monk
More of the Good Life
1981 Mirage Records
1 Everybody Get on up and Dance
2 Too Much Too Soon
3 Falling in Love With You
4 Oh! Oh! Speedo
5 First Lady of Love
6 More to Love
7 You're Askin' Me, I'm Askin' You (Buggin' Me Out)
Monk on Monk
1997 N2k Encoded Music
1 Little Rootie Tootie
2 Crepuscule With Nellie
3 Boo Boo's Birthday
4 Dear Ruby
5 Two Timer
6 Bright Mississippi
7 Suddenly
8 Ugly Beauty
9 Jackie-Ing
To celebrate what would have been his father Thelonious Monk's 80th birthday, drummer T.S. Monk put together an all-star group (an expanded version of his sextet) and toured, performing an all-Thelonious program. Just prior to the beginning of the live performances, T.S. and his band recorded this CD. The music is excellent, but there are so many guest artists making cameo appearances (including trumpeters Roy Hargrove, Clark Terry, Arturo Sandoval and Wallace Roney, Wayne Shorter on soprano, tenors Grover Washington Jr. and Jimmy Heath, pianists Herbie Hancock and Geri Allen, bassists Ron Carter, Christian McBride and Dave Holland and singers Dianne Reeves and Kevin Mahogany) that one never really gets to hear Monk's band very much. Considering that T.S.'s unit includes altoist Bobby Watson and singer Nnenna Freelon (both of whom are only heard from briefly), it is a pity that he opted for so many unnecessary guests. There are good versions of such tunes as "Little Rootie Tootie" (which has a very effective Grover Washington Jr. tenor solo), "Crepuscule With Nellie" (one of the few renditions of a band actually stretching out on this theme), and "Bright Mississippi," plus the debut of a recently discovered Monk composition ("Two Timer"), so this set is recommended. But one is left looking forward to hearing the actual T.S. Monk ensemble interpret the songs. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Album Credits
Kevin Mahogany Vocals
Ronnie Mathews Piano
Christian McBride Bass
Bobby Porcelli Sax (Alto) Sax (Baritone)
Dianne Reeves Vocals
Roger Rosenberg Sax (Baritone) Sax (Tenor)
Maureen Sickler Assistant Engineer
Grover Washington, Jr. Sax (Tenor)
T.S. Monk Arranger Drums Producer Main Performer
Dick Sickler Arranger Producer Trumpet
Cella Art Direction
Nnenna Freelon Vocals
Danilo Perez Piano
Wallace Roney Trumpet
Don Sickler Arranger Producer Trumpet
Willie Williams Sax (Soprano) Sax (Tenor)
John Clark French Horn
Laurie Frink ? Trumpet
Virgil Jones Trumpet
Geri Allen Piano
David Amram French Horn
Eddie Bert Trombone
Ron Carter Bass
Herbie Hancock Piano
Roy Hargrove Flageolet Flugelhorn
Jimmy Heath Sax (Tenor)
Dave Holland Bass
Arturo Sandoval Trumpet
Wayne Shorter Sax (Soprano) Sax (Tenor)
Bobby Watson Sax (Alto)
Howard Johnson Sax (Baritone) Tuba
Chuck Stewart Photography
David Gahr Photography
Phil Ramone Executive Producer
Curtis Brown Technical Producer
Frank Gargiulo Design
Mary Kay Fletcher Producer
Rudy Van Gelder Engineer Digital Editing Mastering
Carl Griffin Executive Producer
Album Credits
Bobby Porcelli Flute (Alto) Sax (Alto) Flute
T.S. Monk Arranger Drums Vocals Electronic Drums Synthesizer Percussion
Jon Gordon Sax (Alto)
Ray Gallon Arranger Synthesizer Strings Synthesizer Piano
Gary Wang Bass
Patricia Barber Vocals
Don Sickler Arranger Flugelhorn Trumpet
Willie Williams Sax (Soprano) Sax (Tenor) Clarinet
Rob Mounsey Arranger
Cross Talk
1999 N2k Encoded Music
1 Black Hole
2 Night Song
3 Squeaky Clean
4 Just a Little Lovin'
5 Smile of the Snake
6 Touching Affair
7 Somebody Buy Me a Drink
8 You Touched My Heart
9 Chant for Bu
10 Crosstalk
Drummer Monk's follow-up to the 1998 Jazz CD of the Year Monk on Monk is a departure from both that album and his previous pop-funk efforts. Playing Roland V-10 electric drums and additional acoustic percussion, Monk and arranger Don Sickler are striving for a different sound, which they largely achieve. Diversity is the password, as the two avoid getting stuck in ruts or etched in stone, while using jazz foundations to create organs of woodwind- and brass-fired beauty, tastefully triggered by percussion. The middle of the CD really defines their sound; Donald Brown's "Smile of the Snake" has a broader, slyer grin than the original version, and is much faster and funkier. The James Williams piece "A Touching Affair" sports a tabla and funk-lite sound that would please Creed Taylor. (Note: ex-Jazz Messengers Brown and Williams are pianists -- not on this session -- from Memphis.) Highlights include the hard-bopping "Squeaky Clean" and the simply gorgeous horns on the aforementioned "Heart" and the Jazz Messenger-ish "A Chant for Bu." The CD goes out with a bang on the title track, inexorably funky but with as potent and punchy a horn chart as you'll hear -- fully realized, deliberate, jazzy. Saxophonists Willie Williams and Bobby Porcelli are outstanding throughout, especially when they play together. Sickler, in his double duty as arranger and trumpeter, is quite innovative and dependable. Monk made a bold move in doing a recording such as this, and it should be appreciated that he did it his way. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Higher Ground
2002 Thelonious Records
T S Monk-Drums, Percussion, Electronics,Vocals
Willie Williams-Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Clarinet,Vocals
Bobby Porcelli-Alto Sax, Flute
Ray Gallon-Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Synthesizer
David Jackson-Acoustic Bass
Miles Griffith-Guest Vocalist
Winston Byrd-Trumpet, Flueglehorn, Vocals
Victor See Yuen-Congas, Bongos, African and Brazilian Percussion
Additional percussion provided by Jeremy Berberian
Cosmic percussion provided by TME
Recorded and Mixed by Vance Garcia
Assistant engineers: Joe Hogan and Ernesto Santos
Recorded at LO-HO Recording Studios NYC, 2001
Mixed at Alley Cat Productions, South Orange, NJ
cover art by T S Monk
Photos by T S Monk and Roger Hama Sassaki
Produced by T S Monk for Thelonious Productions Inc.
Executive Producer Peter Grain M.D.
Management: Ed Keane Associates: ed@edkeane.com
Special Thanks to my fabulous wife Gale Monk, and to John and Pat Lee,
who were just fantastic about the whole thing!
by Bobby Porcelli Second Floor music(BMI)
2. Craw Daddy 5:08
by Ray Gallon No-Lag Music(BMI)
3. Ladera Heights 8:03
by Winston Byrd Bu-Bar Corp.(BMI)
4. Mosaic 5:32
by Cedar Walton Second Floor Music(BMI)
5. Millennium Dance 7:35
by Willie Williams Will’s Way Music(ASCAP)
6. Missing Linc 7:39
by Ray Gallon No-Lag Music(BMI)
7. Girl Watchin’ 6:35
by Donald Brown Second Floor Music(BMI)
8. Philly Twist 3:34
by Kenny Durham Second Floor Music(BMI)
9. Cubano Chant 5:13
by Ray Bryant Second Floor Music(BMI)
