Thelonious Monk on Tonight starring Steve Allen, 1955

Описание: Thelonious Monk plays Off Minor and Well You Needn't and talks with Steve Allen.

That same month (december, 1955), the first of a fairly long series of TV shows featuring Monk takes place. In this one, presenter Steve Allen, child prodigy of television talk shows, officiates and tries to understand and make his guest understand his music. A jazz pianist himself, he asks Monk if he can read music: “Of course”, replies Monk, to the laughter of the audience, who applaud, proving either that it wasn't so obvious to the audience, or that it was too obvious... Then he showed some chord progressions typical of the Monkian style and asked what the orchestra was going to play: “Off Minor”, he was told, and the orchestra attacked. Unfortunately, this program has not survived on film, and all that remains of it is a soundtrack of mediocre quality. Monk is surrounded by Art Farmer (trumpet), Teo Macero or Hank Mobley (tenor), Eddie Bert (trombone), drummer Willie Jones, survivor of the famous session of November 13, 1953 - but other sources say Art Blakey - and Charles Mingus on bass. How about that! The latter was no stranger to Thelonious: let's recall the two photos taken at the Open Door on September 13, 1953...