My little baby, I know you still don’t even understand what the hell the music is on this 78rpm right here by your side, but maybe someday you will surely come to know “the genius of modern music” . . . .

   

Anyway here is the latest 78rpm I obtained the other day – this is one of the three 78rpms I got (others include Zoot Sims on Prestige and Stan Getz on Mercury). For me, this is the first 78rpm of Thelonious Monk as a leader.

   

At least in my own opinion, Monk’s best partner as a drummer was Art Blakey – unlike the performances as a leader of the Jazz Messengers, Blakey plays so delicate, pulsive, serious and “silently energic” with Monk’s piano – it’s amazing that they can do the perfect interactions and (not only melodic but) rhythmic conversations all through the performance. My best favourite performance by Monk and Blakey is definitely “Work” with Percy Heath (recorded on Sep. 22, 1954, appeared on PRLP-189 and PRLP-7075) – just listen to the masterpiece brush works by Blakey throughout!

   

But Max Roach can do another kind of interactions with Monk – his steady drums always sings and sounds melodious, and he presents rock solid backgrounds which makes the unique harmony of Monk’s music so distinctive and clear.

 

“Trinkle Tinkle” on this 78rpm, as the title itself suggests, is a showcase of Thelonious Monk’s colourful arabesque of main theme presentations, being backed by steady and rhythmic harmony by Max Roach. I still love “Little Rootie Tootie” with Art Blakey far better, but anyway this “Trinkle Tinkle” is one of my favourite Monk tunes and his performances. Other than that, the title “Trinkle Tinkle” itself sounds very pretty (good title for baby’s music) and so does the melody – don’t you think so?

 

I wonder (and I hope), if this tune would be a favourite theme of my little baby someday in the near future when she gradually realises every sound she can hear with her little ears and with her little mind . . . I know that’s a stupid hope anyway.

 

---

 

Side-A: Trinkle Tinkle
Side-B: These Foolish Things

Thelonious Monk (p), Gary Mapp (b), Max Roach (ds).
Recorded in New York City on December 18, 1952.