Jason Moran presents In My Mind: Monk At Town Hall

This was something else! A concert that surely ranks pretty close to the top of anyone's list; perhaps even higher than the 1959 concert it paid tribute to! I can't speak with any authority as I wasn't there and I'm not familiar with the Riverside recording from New York Town Hall--something I must rectify asap

However, despite all the Monkian connotations, to me the music bore a greater resemblance to the work of Charles Mingus which is nothing to be ashamed of. Indeed, the combination of Monk, Mingus and Moran could be said to be the equivalent of Bach, Bartok and Beethoven getting together to knock out a symphony.

The wall of sound from the nine piece was mindblowing, the impetus from the rhythm section hypnotic, and the piano work of Jason Moran, technically, far in advance of the Monk I've heard on record. To create the right ambience a screen showed faded images of Thelonious Monk and his early environment which, to be honest, I found slightly irritating at first. However, it gradually became an integral part of the presentation and at times added an extra dimension to the music

THE MUSIC

This was music to fuel an addiction to music.

No intermission, no interval chit-chat, just (just!) an hour and a half of sheer compulsion that left the audience as drained as the musicians marching out of the hall, still playing à la Hampton.

We thought it was all over.

Until we reached the bar.

Here, not only were they still playing but dancing and chanting as they played. We'd had the most beautiful, exotic, cake--now we were getting the icing!

For the record: Jason Moran (pno), Tarus Mateen (bs), Nasheet Waits (dms), Jason Yarde (alto), Denys Baptiste (ten), Byron Wallen (tpt), Fayyaz Virji (tmb) and Andy Grappy (tuba) were the names carved with pride.

The penalty shoot-out in the European Cup-final seemed tame in comparision.

Lance