Rhythm-A-Ning

[Zugzwang]

here's a PhD thesis analysing the way Charlie Rouse and Steve Lacy approached playing Monk's music
the stuff on Rhythm-A-Ning can be found on pages 139 -163 with transcriptions of parts of the solos in the appendices - https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/...ce_Ryan_D_2013_PhD.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

Oh boy, just hit the link hoping for a 1-para synopsis, and have downloaded a 611pp doctoral thesis submission.
(Note to self: Think before you click, why don't you?)

 

[Veggie Dave]

Happy reading.

 

[altissimo]

Oh boy, just hit the link hoping for a 1-para synopsis, and have downloaded a 611pp doctoral thesis submission.
(Note to self: Think before you click, why don't you?)

well you can read it in stages, skim through it, or use cntrl+F and search for particular things...
I don't suppose I'll ever read all of it, but the hour or so I spent looking through it last night was highly rewarding and I'm not even serious about playing Monk's music - if I was, this kind of stuff would be invaluable.
I've been listening to jazz for over 35 years and I still don't know enough about it and I've been reading books on the subject since Ian Carr's book on Miles came out in paperback when I was a teenager, so I get a bit excited when I find writing of this depth and another tiny bit of the puzzle reveals itself. Jazz is as serious as your life, to quote the title of another book...
When I was young and first getting into jazz, there was no internet so I had to glean what info I could from library books and records. I hung out with some older jazz musicians who'd play me Charlie Parker and Art Pepper box sets and throw me in at the deep end by making me play with them. I learnt a lot about the kind of attitude you need to be an improviser and now I can go and play gigs with musicians I've never met before and find some common ground
I don't consider myself a jazz musician, although the music I play is highly improvised, so reading about how other people approach their art is always illuminating and time well spent
As is watching this film of Monk -

View: https://youtu.be/eNnTptucq24

 

[rhysonsax]

I really love Monk's playing and also Stan Tracey's quirky Monk-influenced piano too. I saw Stan playing some Monk-related concerts and have a couple of recordings too, the best one just on LP, called "Spectrum Tribute to Monk".

I have been searching for any YouTube clips of Stan playing Rhythm-a-ning but without luck so far.

Maybe we should have a recording thread some month devoted to Rhythm changes tunes - lots to choose from.

Rhys