PLAYS MONK

Ben Goldberg-clarinet    Devin Hoff-contrabass   Scott Amendola-drums

‘plays Monk’ fell together. Ben and Devin had been working on Thelonious Monk tunes together. I called them both for a gig. Ben said ‘let’s play only Thelonious Monk’.  Of course, what else is there? Thelonious Monk is one of the greatest composers/piano players ever. Totally unique approach to Jazz.  His tunes are all memorable. They sing themselves. His voice on the piano was unique and unprecedented.  Totally recognizable.  Monk’s music will live on forever. This is our homage to him, his interminable spirit and desire to push the envelope.  And our way of doing our thing through Monk. - Scott A.

The music of Thelonious Monk is one of the greatest bodies of creative work produced anywhere in the 20th century, and a pinnacle in the history of American art.  Monk’s songs are condensed compositions that function as riddles, as lessons, and above all as vibrant, swinging music.  Each one of them possesses an inner strength and resiliency that can withstand infinite variations and permutations without giving up its form or its content.  They permit the individual musicians to discover the heart of the matter and learn its truths in their own way and at their own pace, always revealing more to the careful and patient student.
This band, then, is a collective attempt to engage in this dialogue…- Devin H.

The compositions of Thelonious Monk offer distinct challenges to the jazz musician.  Each song is a unique parable of form, timing, concision, and motion.  The musician who investigates this material finds, additionally, a series of interlocking meditations on the fundamentals of melody, harmony, rhythm, and form.  Monk’s music is substantial, durable, and entrancing; as with the great European classical music, it abides apart from any particular performance while containing within it the endless possibility of discovery and renewal.

[plays monk] is a trio that is developing a sound by performing Monk’s songs and listening hard for the consequence.  They have been working together for a year, playing a lot, always trying new things, always aiming for the distilled truth of the music. -Ben G.

" a homegrown trio consisting of clarinet (Ben Goldberg), bass (Devin Hoff) and drums
(Scott Amendola) that, well, plays Monk in a way that is so fresh and
exciting that you have to laugh with joy." -SF Weekly

Devin Hoff and Scott Amendola are the great rhythm team for the Nels Cline Singers. Devin, Scott & clarinet wiz, Ben Goldberg, are also members of Nels Cline's New Monastery / Andrew Hill project. On this rich offering, the trio plays ten Thelonius Monk compositions in their own quirky way. "Skippy" is taken at a brisk tempo and has an infectious, happy vibe. Very nice to hear this trio playing a few of the rarer Monk tunes like "Shuffle Boil" and "Boo Boo's Birthday". What makes this disc so fine is the way the trio plays these tunes, all of which were written at and often feature a piano at the center. With spirited versions of "Little Rootie Tootie", "Four in One" and "Teo", how can they go wrong? An excellent offering. - BLG, Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter, June 2007

February 2007 marked the 25th anniversary of the death of Thelonious Monk. Plays Monk is one of the few tributes to his greatness realized for this occasion. Published at the end of 2007, this album was recorded in November of 2004. Monk, as we know, has always been the object of many memorable homages. Other greats of Jazz have always shown an intense interest in Monk and his compositions are one of the most repeated repertoires in Jazz. Even so, the small tribute from this Californian trio is engaging. It distinguishes itself by shining light on the hits and by some of the unique twists that they bring to the music. First of all, the pieces they’ve selected seem to highlight the most destructuring element of Monk’s compositions. They’ve constructed it with a clarinet, bass, and drum trio. The cornerstone of this formation is without a doubt the reed of Goldberg (who was already widely admired in the group of Nels Cline, New Monastery, on the album of the same name which was dedicated to Andrew Hill). Goldberg offers up all the geometric melodies intact, succeeding in perfectly balancing that old-fashioned sound that is at the same time deeply innovative; the mark of every Monk piece. Drums and bass play with timing all over the album, introducing new interventions, solos, or moments of light and dark in each of the album’s ten compositions. Just listen to “Boo Boo’s Birthday” or the beautiful version of “Little Rootie Tootie”. Speaking of this last one, just compare it to the famous recording of Monk from October 15th, 1952 with the Art Blakely trio and Gary Mapp. Monk’s surprising cubist effect remains intact, as does the opaqueness of the theme. The bass and drums however, are completely twisted without damaging the original. Ok, if you compare it to the Von Schlippenbach triplet on Monk’s Casino (Intakt), this CD is no big thing. On the other hand, it does have a few surprises, especially for its music’s rich and whimsical moments. In addition, it’s a good album for the vision it gives us of everything that is Monk. -All About Jazz- Italy

Bay Area jazz trio, Plays Monk, debut a disc in true Thelonious fashion
It seems amazing now, but when jazz pianist Thelonious Monk began releasing records in the 1940s, listeners didn’t know what to think of them. Over time, tunes like “Straight, No Chaser” and “Ruby My Dear” became standards, but for many years audiences were confused by Monk’s open, exploratory style. No doubt the idiosyncratic composer would have appreciated a project like Plays Monk, in which three Bay Area musicians perform his songs without the aid of his signature instrument. On their debut disc (recorded in Berkeley in 2004, but only recently released), clarinetist Ben Goldberg, drummer Scott Amendola, and bassist Devin Hoff radically rework Monk’s tunes while keeping his intent intact. These 10 numbers, all lesser known tracks from Monk’s vast catalog, visit a vast expanse of moods, from gleeful exuberance (“Skippy”) to noirish anxiety (“Green Chimneys”) to sunny contemplation (“Reflections”). Hoff and Amendola’s muscular rhythm section
provides structure and drive, while Goldberg, tinkering with melody and discord, offers the kind of fluid, probing playing for which Monk became famous. Plays Monk is that rare tribute album that explores new territory while honoring the original. A-
-Dan Strachota, Snap Judgments

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