Thelonious Monk - Underground (1968)

Just had a good dig into Thelonious Monk's Columbia output for the first time in ages, and this is the one I always end up with on repeat for days.  Arguably his last great album, recorded in late '67 and early '68, Monk the composer was significantly revived here; as much as he's endlessly enjoyable casting a fresh light on his familiar tunes, the extra new material on Underground makes it all the more enjoyable.  The infamous album cover dials up the 'jazz iconoclast' image to eleven, with Monk imagining himself as a French Resistance fighter capturing a Nazi bunker.  As you do.

The Columbia quartet of Monk, Rouse, Riley and Gales are here for the last time and in fine form, although half the album is effectively a trio date, with Charlie Rouse away at his father's funeral.  The extended versions of most of these tracks on CD reissues let the great group swing and shine all the more, especially on the gorgeous Green Chimneys.  If there's one thing I love about Monk's records, it's the sense of space, and there's plenty of that here too in his unique, classic style.  Furthering the standout status of Underground in Monk's catalogue are his only waltz tune, Ugly Beauty, and a closing guest turn for jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks on In Walked Bud.

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Miles Davis - Bags' Groove (1957 compi, rec. 1954)

One of my absolute favourite albums of early, pre-Columbia Miles Davis - and actually a compilation of two 10" mini-albums, Miles Davis With Sonny Rollins recorded in June 1954, and Miles Davis All Stars Vol. 1, recorded on Xmas eve that same year.

It's all about the magnificent, knockout triple-punch of Sonny Rollins compositions for me, all of which would become widely-covered standards.  This inspired collaboration between Davis and Rollins would unfortunately prove to be a one-off (the omnipresent drug problems of 50s jazz, apparently); listen to these tracks and imagine what could've been.  Also recorded was Gershwin's But Not For Me, showing that this quintet were equally versatile with ballads and standards.

The 'All Stars' session from the end of the year featured another rare congress of striking personalities, with Thelonious Monk on piano and Milt 'Bags' Jackson on vibes.  Bags' Groove, the composition, is the very definition of mid-50's cool.  This compilation is rounded out by two alternate takes - of the title track, and But Not For Me.  Prestige seem to have been quite the label for offering value for money - I never knew until today's discogs browse that they'd done 16rpm compilations, offering presumably over an hour of music on one disc decades before the advent of CDs.  Sorry, I love trivia like that...

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