In fact, Dizzy’s bravura introduction has almost attached itself to the composition. For this favor, Williams demanded a co-writer credit from Thelonious Monk: this was an unfortunate but not uncommon practice of the day.ĭizzy Gillespie recorded a more empathetic version with his big band in 1946. Thanks to Bud Powell, it was first recorded in a rather four-square reading with a corny bridge by Cootie Williams’ orchestra in 1944. Round Midnight is more than a standard it is an anthem. But he stayed with Monk for a couple of years after that. So he spent all his money recording this guy, and he didn’t know how well or how badly he would sell. Then he did another with six tunes, and then another with four in the following spring. In October of ’47 he recorded a Thelonious Monk session with six tunes. I suppose that was the biggest indicator that Alfred was not the world’s greatest businessman. Half of the press gave him glowing reviews, thought he was a visionary and unique, but the stuff never sold. It wasn’t always a profitable thing to do. The other labels, like Keynote, HRS, and Commodore, didn’t make the change, and they just faded away. He recorded Bud Powell’s first session and did the same with Thelonious Monk, Howard McGhee-a lot of important people. Alfred Lion stopped recording for almost a year just to wrap his brain around these massive changes in jazz.Īlfred made the change it was a struggle, but he stayed in business.
The big independent labels-Commodore, HRS, Blue Note, and Keynote-were all recording New York-style trad, New Orleans music, boogie-woogie, and small-group swing. But it took a long time for the world to catch up to him.” – Michael Cuscuna, interview by By the time he got to Columbia in the ’60s, he was on the cover of “Time” magazine, selling loads of records, touring the world, making great money. Little by little, it grew, and people got it.
Riverside really hammered away at trying to get Monk recognition. Then he went to Riverside, a startup label. Monk went to Prestige in ’52 for about two or three years, and he sold horribly on Prestige, too. Unfortunately, I don’t think people were ready for it at all. The first was Monk, the second was Herbie Nichols, and the third was Andrew Hill, where he didn’t care how much money he made or lost.
It always works.Īlfred Lion told me that there were three people in his life that when he heard them, he just flipped and had to record everything they did. It always sounds like it’s going to fall over the cliff, but it never does. The thing about Monk is that everything sounds wrong, but it’s perfectly right. Monk was like this fully formed alien that had just landed on earth. Even when I heard them 10 years later it was astonishing. “When you jump to the modern era, starting in ’47, the sessions with Thelonious Monk must have been fairly astonishing to hear.
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