Monk and Friends: Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, & Elmo Hope in the 1950s (1953 - 1957)

By RUSSELL PERRY | Jazz at 100
July 23, 2019
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The 1950s were a very productive decade for Thelonious Monk, perhaps his most productive as a composer. During the fifties his reputation and impact grew tremendously. His influence on other pianists can be seen in the work of Elmo Hope and Herbie Nichols, among others. Although neither had the longevity or enjoyed the popularity that Monk did, as the years go by their reputations have grown.

In this hour, we will focus on idiosyncratic pianist/composers Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols and Elmo Hope in the 1950s.

Playlist

Host Intro 0:00
Thelonious Monk Quintet. "Brilliant Corners" from Brilliant Corners (Riverside) 4:11
Thelonious Monk Quintet. "Pannonica" from Brilliant Corners (Riverside) 11:53
Host speaks 20:40
Thelonious Monk Quartet. "Trinkle Tinkle" from Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (Riverside) 23:03
Thelonious Monk Quartet. "Nutty" from Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (Riverside) 29:41
Host speaks 36:15
Herbie Nichols Trio. "The Third World" from The Prophetic Herbie Nichols (Blue Note) 39:46
Herbie Nichols Trio. "Cro-Magnon Nights" from The Prophetic Herbie Nichols (Blue Note) 43:55
Host speaks 48:35
Elmo Hope Trio. "Freffie" from New Faces—New Sounds (Blue Note) 51:05
Elmo Hope Trio. "Hot Sauce" from New Faces—New Sounds (Blue Note) 54:08
Host Outro 57:58