Monk's Music Trio: Monk's Bones (2006)

David A. Orthmann

Columnist since 2000

David hears the melody of "Salt Peanuts" in the squawk of wild turkeys walking through his back yard.

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Published: February 9, 2006

Except for a surrealistic version of "Friday The 13th, Monk's Bones offers straightforward interpretations of nine Thelonious Monk compositions. The third recording by Monk's Music Trio adds the trombones of Roswell Rudd, a longtime exponent of Monk's work, and Max Perkoff, the son of the band's pianist, Si Perkoff.

All of the tracks profit from the differences between Rudd's eccentric Dixieland-to-1960s-avant-garde effusions and the younger Perkoff's full-bodied, more conventional style. Some of the record's finest moments consist of the slippery horns' skewed interaction during the heads and wily commentary on each other's solos.

En route to a low-keyed conclusion, Rudd's solo on "Little Rootie Tootie conflates jabbing blats, pregnant silences, and forlorn howls that move in slow motion against the rhythm section. Max Perkoff's turn on "Blue Monk begins with fluid, dancing lines that show off his rich sound. About halfway through Perkoff becomes more deliberate, and his tone adopts a strident, burr-like quality.

Si Perkoff, bassist Sam Bevan, and drummer Chuck Bernstein make essential contributions to the band's overall sound. In concert with Bevan's sturdy walking line, Perkoff's incisive comping enlivens his son's performance of "San Francisco Holiday. Keeping the snare drum accents to a minimum, Bernstein elicits a variety of textures from his cymbals while maintaining a firm groove throughout Si Perkoff's "Blue Monk solo.

Track Listing: Monk's Dream; Crepuscule With Nellie; San Francisco Holiday; Ugly Beauty; Little Rootie Tootie; 'Round Midnight; Friday The 13th; Blue Monk; I Mean You.

Personnel: Chuck Bernstein: drums; Si Perkoff: piano; Sam Bevan: bass; Roswell Rudd: trombone; Max Perkoff: trombone.

Record Label: CMB Records
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream