Monk in Europe (1968) - full transcript
In 1968, we had the opportunity to spend time with Thelonious Monk and his musicians, following him in New York, Atlanta, and in various European cities. In New York his quartet plays at the Village Vanguard and at recording sessions for Columbia Records; in Atlanta they appear at a Jazz Festival organized by George Wein. The members of the quartet were Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley. The group was joined on the European tour by Ray Copeland, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, and Johnny Griffin, traveling as part of George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival road company.
(group chatter)
- This is two to one, right.
(inaudible)
- Two in the afternoon.
- Oh.
(inaudible)
- People,
with the way hours you live,
you would never stay out all night,
go to sleep in the daytime.
(inaudible)
Yeah.
Keeping up with you in New York.
You want to try it?
- [Monk] Sure.
- [Man] Try getting out of it.
- [Monk] Alright.
- [Man] Three times, in the end.
Right now.
- Yeah, let's see what it sounds like.
- [Monk] Yeah, yeah.
(jazz playing)
This will be--
or was is--
(inaudible)
That's right man.
(band playing)
- Dig, dig.
(jazz playing)
(group chatter)
- Half, half.
Not the time to go deep.
The second half.
(jazz playing)
- Uh huh.
- You dig?
- How we gonna do it three times?
- They're the same way,
and then go up the second time
and do it the same way.
- That's six times.
- Six times.
Huh?
- Six times?
- Well it's gonna be--
- Oh.
(interposing voices speaking)
- Yeah, I dig you.
- Slowly, slowly, but surely.
Play 16 then go up.
- Right, and then
16 and then go up octave.
16 more.
- Try it again.
(band playing)
And when do we use this copy?
- Yeah, what is this copy?
When does this happen?
Why don't we put it in
on this second chorus?
Leave them (inaudible).
Yeah.
Want to do that?
- [Man] I got comp one two.
(group chatter)
- [Man] All I could
take out was (inaudible)
- [Man] Comp number one
on the second chorus.
- [Man] I've got three regulars.
When you finish with those--
Charlie, second chorus.
- [Charlie] Right.
- [Man] Well you know,
like leave it flexible for us.
(interposing voices speaking)
- [Man] The second time around.
- [Man] Yeah.
- [Man] Let's rehearse the horns once.
- [Man] You want to run them separately?
- [Man] The comp separately,
what do you mean?
- [Man] Do you want to run those comps
and see what they sound like?
- [Man] Yeah.
Let's play the whole thing once.
- [Man] The whole thing?
- [Man] Yeah, let's go right down it.
One,
two,
a one, two, three.
(band playing)
- [Man] Comp three.
- Huh?
- Get over it.
Get on.
Comp four.
Get on.
- [Man] That's a good bass solo.
- [Man] It's comp four
from behind the bass.
- Comp four?
Oh yeah.
What's comp three?
Does it say on the score?
- [Man] You got anything
in the first part,
like verse 16 that you guys out?
(group chatter)
You're out, huh?
- [Man] I'm out.
- [Man] Comp three, I'm playing.
(group chatter)
(band playing)
- [Man] Oh, comp four
should be behind the bass.
I think I followed Monk on the record.
I'm not sure.
It doesn't matter.
- [Man] Well I have both of those.
- [Man] Why not comp three?
- [Man] Let's try that comp.
- [Man] Comp three?
- [Man] Yeah, let's try it.
- [Man] Alright, comp three.
One,
two,
a one, two, three.
(band playing)
- Any preference on your part
for the soul order, or
is the way we did it alright?
Charles first.
- He plays alright.
We'll figure out who's going.
Okay.
Where you see the last
place for you to go in,
you pick,
you pick a spot where you think
it's nice to go and blow.
Pick it.
(band playing)
(applause)
(piano playing)
(cheers and applause)
(jazz playing)
(cheers and applause)
- How are you?
(inaudible)
No?
(inaudible)
- Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
- Oh yes, I see.
You're a good (inaudible).
(group chatter)
- Yes, everything's just fine here.
(group chatter)
Yes.
Jackie.
Mrs. Benoit.
Call her Jackie.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- He's making the whole trip.
- The whole trip, yes.
(jazz playing)
- Yeah.
(applause)
(jazz playing)
- [Man] Gary from (inaudible).
(group chatter)
- Howdy.
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
Somebody stopped it.
- Nobody's gonna do anything.
- [Man] Yeah, yeah.
- [Man] It's all art of it.
(group chatter)
(jazz playing)
(chuckles)
(group chatter)
- Smell them.
(group chatter)
- Where your boots at?
You're gonna need them down here
as cold as it is.
(laughter)
- The look on your face.
I figured you had just got
done talking about the basic.
(jazz playing)
(applause)
- [Martin] Mr. Martin Clinton here,
(speaking foreign language)
Was your quartet boring you?
Or why do you come with six home men?
- Somebody else's idea.
(speaking foreign language)
- What is more important in your work,
playing the piano or composing?
- I do both.
- Both?
(speaking foreign language)
Mr. Monk,
you always wear different hats and caps
in your concerts.
Do they have an influence in your music?
- No.
- That's a good question.
- Maybe they do, I don't know.
- And do you think that the piano
has enough keys?
88 or do you want more or less?
- I mean it's a hard way to play those 88.
(laughter)
(jazz in background)
(jazz playing)
(applause)
(speaking foreign language)
- Clark Terry.
(applause)
(jazz playing)
(applause)
- Do you want steak?
(inaudible)
- Have you got chicken
livers and rice right here?
- Chicken?
- [Man] Chicken livers.
- Chicken liver.
I'll see if we have it sir.
Just a second please.
Chicken salad we have here.
A chicken salad.
- Pardon me?
- [Waiter] Chicken.
Chicken salad.
- How about just liver?
- [Waiter] Liver?
Yeah.
- Liver, what goes with it?
- [Waiter] Boiled liver.
- Uh huh.
- [Waiter] Boiled liver was
potatoes,
french fried potatoes,
mashed potatoes.
- Mashed potatoes.
- Mashed potatoes.
Yeah.
Boiled liver with mashed potatoes.
And vegetables, or--
- Yeah, some vegetables.
- [Waiter] Have you tried the soup before?
- Yeah.
- [Waiter] What kind of soup?
(inaudible)
Cream soup.
(inaudible)
- [Waiter] Chicken cream soup.
What kind do we have?
Champion cream soup.
- Champaign cream soup?
- [Waiter] Champion cream.
- [Man] Mushroom soup.
- Oh, okay.
- Mushroom cream.
And after that sir,
would you like a dessert?
Some ice or
some fruit salad?
- [Monk] Peach (inaudible).
- Peach (inaudible), fine sir.
Anything to drink?
- [Woman] Yes, ice cream.
- Coca cola.
- Hey Nelly, I got to see you a minute.
This is how much it is,
to set it back on,
it's bad adjusting partner.
- [Nelly] No, come on.
- No, because I'm gonna
use my cover for it.
The thing I got to do
is send mine back on the flight
as I brought this one over.
We got two.
- You got a nice but.
you talking about fine.
- Yeah, steel.
- Oh man, that's right.
Beautiful.
Let's say Bobby.
- You're not gonna play--
- Is there a possibility of finding out
the next flight going to
Hamburg?
- We can either do it now
or we can do it in the morning.
- It's all about sending
it right back too.
And the thing,
the thing is
I'm gonna have to call in to.
- Going to Hamburg?
No, this is Frankfurt.
- Peoples.
- [Man] Get on the bus man,
you're holding up production.
Hey where you been?
- You sneaked off and
made another gig on me.
What was you doing up there
with those hamburgers?
What was you doing with the hamburgers?
- Oh--
- Watch it, watch it.
(group chatter)
No, you give the other one back.
This is the other one.
- [Man] No, this is the other one.
- [Man] This is what I had.
- [Man] Bout to give it up.
- Yeah, I got it.
(group chatter)
- So how is everything, Clark?
How'd everything go?
- Yeah, it was a good one.
Wish you were there last night, partner.
Was talking about filling
up the whole room.
- [Monk] Okay, so we have bass solos now.
(laughter)
- We have to hear what
we missed last night.
- [Woman] That's right,
and the night before that.
(jazz playing)
- [Man] Let's play this shit.
- [Man] Your smile so
happy in the morning.
(inaudible)
See you later.
- [Man] One, two,
a one, two.
(jazz playing)
- Ga ga ga
blee.
Okay,
blee, blee, ba.
Alright.
Me and you, the bridge,
Cleve, right.
- Bee, yeah.
(scat singing)
- Hear that compound.
We ort to like lay on that.
Compound triple going out.
(group chatter)
- Let's take the whole thing.
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
One, two.
(jazz playing)
- You know, I really
have to see some of those
pictures that you've taken.
Sometimes, I'm flying around,
I feel as if I'm
a bird with wings.
I wonder if I look like it.
(soft music)
(inaudible)
- [Man] You know that,
those studio bands go like
pump, pump.
- No, no.
- They ain't got nothing
to do with jazz at all.
Yeah, like make them bum, bum
like jazz.
(inaudible)
Yeah,
let's get that handsome
sound to the notes.
I mean you gonna put like
Broadway show--
(sax playing)
A little longer,
it'll sound better.
- Yeah, a little louder--
(group chatter)
- How's the tempo?
Is that about it?
About the tempo, Ben?
Is that tempo about right?
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
- [Man] Hospital time.
(jazz playing)
- I didn't know what I had on.
- It's a little on the dark side.
(inaudible)
No, no, no.
I just talked about it.
- [Woman] Who's coming to get us, now?
(inaudible)
(jazz playing)
(laughter)
- [Man] Don't forget the (inaudible).
- Hey Dion,
Dion Griffin.
Dian Griffin.
- Hey.
Thanks, T.
(group chatter)
Oh lord.
(light jazz playing)
(group chatter)
(speaking foreign language)
- [Stewardess] Ladies and gentlemen,
(inaudible)
please fasten your seat belts.
Thank you.
- This is two to one, right.
(inaudible)
- Two in the afternoon.
- Oh.
(inaudible)
- People,
with the way hours you live,
you would never stay out all night,
go to sleep in the daytime.
(inaudible)
Yeah.
Keeping up with you in New York.
You want to try it?
- [Monk] Sure.
- [Man] Try getting out of it.
- [Monk] Alright.
- [Man] Three times, in the end.
Right now.
- Yeah, let's see what it sounds like.
- [Monk] Yeah, yeah.
(jazz playing)
This will be--
or was is--
(inaudible)
That's right man.
(band playing)
- Dig, dig.
(jazz playing)
(group chatter)
- Half, half.
Not the time to go deep.
The second half.
(jazz playing)
- Uh huh.
- You dig?
- How we gonna do it three times?
- They're the same way,
and then go up the second time
and do it the same way.
- That's six times.
- Six times.
Huh?
- Six times?
- Well it's gonna be--
- Oh.
(interposing voices speaking)
- Yeah, I dig you.
- Slowly, slowly, but surely.
Play 16 then go up.
- Right, and then
16 and then go up octave.
16 more.
- Try it again.
(band playing)
And when do we use this copy?
- Yeah, what is this copy?
When does this happen?
Why don't we put it in
on this second chorus?
Leave them (inaudible).
Yeah.
Want to do that?
- [Man] I got comp one two.
(group chatter)
- [Man] All I could
take out was (inaudible)
- [Man] Comp number one
on the second chorus.
- [Man] I've got three regulars.
When you finish with those--
Charlie, second chorus.
- [Charlie] Right.
- [Man] Well you know,
like leave it flexible for us.
(interposing voices speaking)
- [Man] The second time around.
- [Man] Yeah.
- [Man] Let's rehearse the horns once.
- [Man] You want to run them separately?
- [Man] The comp separately,
what do you mean?
- [Man] Do you want to run those comps
and see what they sound like?
- [Man] Yeah.
Let's play the whole thing once.
- [Man] The whole thing?
- [Man] Yeah, let's go right down it.
One,
two,
a one, two, three.
(band playing)
- [Man] Comp three.
- Huh?
- Get over it.
Get on.
Comp four.
Get on.
- [Man] That's a good bass solo.
- [Man] It's comp four
from behind the bass.
- Comp four?
Oh yeah.
What's comp three?
Does it say on the score?
- [Man] You got anything
in the first part,
like verse 16 that you guys out?
(group chatter)
You're out, huh?
- [Man] I'm out.
- [Man] Comp three, I'm playing.
(group chatter)
(band playing)
- [Man] Oh, comp four
should be behind the bass.
I think I followed Monk on the record.
I'm not sure.
It doesn't matter.
- [Man] Well I have both of those.
- [Man] Why not comp three?
- [Man] Let's try that comp.
- [Man] Comp three?
- [Man] Yeah, let's try it.
- [Man] Alright, comp three.
One,
two,
a one, two, three.
(band playing)
- Any preference on your part
for the soul order, or
is the way we did it alright?
Charles first.
- He plays alright.
We'll figure out who's going.
Okay.
Where you see the last
place for you to go in,
you pick,
you pick a spot where you think
it's nice to go and blow.
Pick it.
(band playing)
(applause)
(piano playing)
(cheers and applause)
(jazz playing)
(cheers and applause)
- How are you?
(inaudible)
No?
(inaudible)
- Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
- Oh yes, I see.
You're a good (inaudible).
(group chatter)
- Yes, everything's just fine here.
(group chatter)
Yes.
Jackie.
Mrs. Benoit.
Call her Jackie.
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
- He's making the whole trip.
- The whole trip, yes.
(jazz playing)
- Yeah.
(applause)
(jazz playing)
- [Man] Gary from (inaudible).
(group chatter)
- Howdy.
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
Somebody stopped it.
- Nobody's gonna do anything.
- [Man] Yeah, yeah.
- [Man] It's all art of it.
(group chatter)
(jazz playing)
(chuckles)
(group chatter)
- Smell them.
(group chatter)
- Where your boots at?
You're gonna need them down here
as cold as it is.
(laughter)
- The look on your face.
I figured you had just got
done talking about the basic.
(jazz playing)
(applause)
- [Martin] Mr. Martin Clinton here,
(speaking foreign language)
Was your quartet boring you?
Or why do you come with six home men?
- Somebody else's idea.
(speaking foreign language)
- What is more important in your work,
playing the piano or composing?
- I do both.
- Both?
(speaking foreign language)
Mr. Monk,
you always wear different hats and caps
in your concerts.
Do they have an influence in your music?
- No.
- That's a good question.
- Maybe they do, I don't know.
- And do you think that the piano
has enough keys?
88 or do you want more or less?
- I mean it's a hard way to play those 88.
(laughter)
(jazz in background)
(jazz playing)
(applause)
(speaking foreign language)
- Clark Terry.
(applause)
(jazz playing)
(applause)
- Do you want steak?
(inaudible)
- Have you got chicken
livers and rice right here?
- Chicken?
- [Man] Chicken livers.
- Chicken liver.
I'll see if we have it sir.
Just a second please.
Chicken salad we have here.
A chicken salad.
- Pardon me?
- [Waiter] Chicken.
Chicken salad.
- How about just liver?
- [Waiter] Liver?
Yeah.
- Liver, what goes with it?
- [Waiter] Boiled liver.
- Uh huh.
- [Waiter] Boiled liver was
potatoes,
french fried potatoes,
mashed potatoes.
- Mashed potatoes.
- Mashed potatoes.
Yeah.
Boiled liver with mashed potatoes.
And vegetables, or--
- Yeah, some vegetables.
- [Waiter] Have you tried the soup before?
- Yeah.
- [Waiter] What kind of soup?
(inaudible)
Cream soup.
(inaudible)
- [Waiter] Chicken cream soup.
What kind do we have?
Champion cream soup.
- Champaign cream soup?
- [Waiter] Champion cream.
- [Man] Mushroom soup.
- Oh, okay.
- Mushroom cream.
And after that sir,
would you like a dessert?
Some ice or
some fruit salad?
- [Monk] Peach (inaudible).
- Peach (inaudible), fine sir.
Anything to drink?
- [Woman] Yes, ice cream.
- Coca cola.
- Hey Nelly, I got to see you a minute.
This is how much it is,
to set it back on,
it's bad adjusting partner.
- [Nelly] No, come on.
- No, because I'm gonna
use my cover for it.
The thing I got to do
is send mine back on the flight
as I brought this one over.
We got two.
- You got a nice but.
you talking about fine.
- Yeah, steel.
- Oh man, that's right.
Beautiful.
Let's say Bobby.
- You're not gonna play--
- Is there a possibility of finding out
the next flight going to
Hamburg?
- We can either do it now
or we can do it in the morning.
- It's all about sending
it right back too.
And the thing,
the thing is
I'm gonna have to call in to.
- Going to Hamburg?
No, this is Frankfurt.
- Peoples.
- [Man] Get on the bus man,
you're holding up production.
Hey where you been?
- You sneaked off and
made another gig on me.
What was you doing up there
with those hamburgers?
What was you doing with the hamburgers?
- Oh--
- Watch it, watch it.
(group chatter)
No, you give the other one back.
This is the other one.
- [Man] No, this is the other one.
- [Man] This is what I had.
- [Man] Bout to give it up.
- Yeah, I got it.
(group chatter)
- So how is everything, Clark?
How'd everything go?
- Yeah, it was a good one.
Wish you were there last night, partner.
Was talking about filling
up the whole room.
- [Monk] Okay, so we have bass solos now.
(laughter)
- We have to hear what
we missed last night.
- [Woman] That's right,
and the night before that.
(jazz playing)
- [Man] Let's play this shit.
- [Man] Your smile so
happy in the morning.
(inaudible)
See you later.
- [Man] One, two,
a one, two.
(jazz playing)
- Ga ga ga
blee.
Okay,
blee, blee, ba.
Alright.
Me and you, the bridge,
Cleve, right.
- Bee, yeah.
(scat singing)
- Hear that compound.
We ort to like lay on that.
Compound triple going out.
(group chatter)
- Let's take the whole thing.
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
One, two.
(jazz playing)
- You know, I really
have to see some of those
pictures that you've taken.
Sometimes, I'm flying around,
I feel as if I'm
a bird with wings.
I wonder if I look like it.
(soft music)
(inaudible)
- [Man] You know that,
those studio bands go like
pump, pump.
- No, no.
- They ain't got nothing
to do with jazz at all.
Yeah, like make them bum, bum
like jazz.
(inaudible)
Yeah,
let's get that handsome
sound to the notes.
I mean you gonna put like
Broadway show--
(sax playing)
A little longer,
it'll sound better.
- Yeah, a little louder--
(group chatter)
- How's the tempo?
Is that about it?
About the tempo, Ben?
Is that tempo about right?
(horn playing)
(group chatter)
- [Man] Hospital time.
(jazz playing)
- I didn't know what I had on.
- It's a little on the dark side.
(inaudible)
No, no, no.
I just talked about it.
- [Woman] Who's coming to get us, now?
(inaudible)
(jazz playing)
(laughter)
- [Man] Don't forget the (inaudible).
- Hey Dion,
Dion Griffin.
Dian Griffin.
- Hey.
Thanks, T.
(group chatter)
Oh lord.
(light jazz playing)
(group chatter)
(speaking foreign language)
- [Stewardess] Ladies and gentlemen,
(inaudible)
please fasten your seat belts.
Thank you.