''Monk in Motian'' is a 1988 album by American jazz drummer

Paul Motian Stephen Paul Motian (March 25, 1931 – November 22, 2011) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, and composer. Motian played an important role in freeing jazz drummers from strict time-keeping duties. He first came to prominence in the ...

, his first to be released on the German JMT label and his 11th as a bandleader. The album features ten compositions by

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

performed by Motian with his longtime trio, guitarist

Bill Frisell William Richard Frisell (born March 18, 1951) is an American jazz guitarist, composer and arranger. Frisell first came to prominence at ECM Records in the 1980s, as both a session player and a leader. He went on to work in a variety of contexts ...

and tenor saxophonist

Joe Lovano Joseph Salvatore Lovano (born December 29, 1952)"Joe Lovano." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 13. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 1994. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, May 5, 2017. is an American jazz saxophonist, alto clarin ...

. Pianist

Geri Allen Geri Antoinette Allen (June 12, 1957 – June 27, 2017) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. In addition to her career as a performer and bandleader, Allen was also an associate professor of music at the University of Pittsburgh ...

and tenor saxophonist

Dewey Redman Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played al ...

also appear. The album was reissued in 2002 on the

Winter & Winter Winter & Winter is a record label in Munich, Germany that specializes in jazz, classical and improvised music. It was founded by Stefan Winter following the demise of his JMT Records label. Since 1997 Winter & Winter has released records by Da ...

label.Winter & Winter catalogue
accessed August 9, 2011

Reception

The

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 4½ stars, stating: "This is an utterly fascinating tribute to the music of Thelonious Monk. Most of the selections feature the unusual trio of tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell (who with his wide range of original sounds is really a one-man band), and drummer Paul Motian. Tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman and pianist Geri Allen are guests on two songs apiece and fit in quite well with the sparse but very complete trio. Among the ten Monk songs explored, taken apart and given surprising treatment are "Evidence," "Bye-Ya," "Ugly Beauty," and "Trinkle Tinkle." Recommended to open-eared listeners.".Yanow, S.
Allmusic Review
accessed June 28, 2011

Track listing

# "Crepuscule with Nellie" - 4:57 # "Justice (Evidence)" - 4:41 # "Ruby, My Dear" - 4:52 # "Straight, No Chaser" - 4:27 # "Bye-Ya" - 5:00 # "Ugly Beauty" - 4:57 # "Trinkle, Trinkle" - 4:55 # "Epistrophy" (

Clarke Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name. Irish surname origin Clarke is a popular surname i ...

, Monk) - 7:01 # "Off Minor" - 4:20 # "Reflections" - 4:48 :''All compositions by Thelonious Monk except as indicated'' :*Recorded March 1988 at A&R Recording Studios, NYC

Personnel

- drums *

- tenor saxophone *

- electric guitar *

- piano (tracks 3 & 9) *

- tenor saxophone (tracks 4 & 8)

References

{{Authority control 1988 albums Paul Motian albums JMT Records albums Winter & Winter Records albums