Search - Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, Devin Hoff :: Plays Monk

Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, Devin Hoff
Plays Monk
Genre: Jazz

Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
1. Skippy
2. Boo Boo's Birthday
3. Work
4. Reflections
5. Little Rootie Tootie
6. Green Chimneys
7. Shuffle Boil
8. Four In One
9. Eronel
10. Teo

CD Details

All Artists: Scott Amendola, Ben Goldberg, Devin Hoff
Title: Plays Monk
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Long Song Records
Release Date: 6/11/2007
Genre: Jazz
Style: Avant Garde & Free Jazz
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 8032089000055

Synopsis

Product Description

Featuring Ben Goldberg on clarinet, Devin Hoff on bass and Scott Amendola on drums & production. Devin Hoff and Scott Amendola are the great rhythm team for the Nels Cline Singers. Devin, Scott & clarinet wiz, Ben Goldberg, are also members of Nels Cline's New Monastery / Andrew Hill project. On this rich offering, the trio plays ten Thelonius Monk compositions in their own quirky way. Skippy is taken at a brisk tempo and has an infectious, happy vibe. Very nice to hear this trio playing a few of the rarer Monk tunes like Shuffle Boil and Boo Boo's Birthday. What makes this disc so fine is the way the trio plays these tunes, all of which were written at and often feature a piano at the center. With spirited versions of Little Rootie Tootie, Four in One; and Teo; how can they go wrong? An excellent offering.

CD Reviews

Impressive reinterpretation of Monk

DJ Outro | Austin, TX | 04/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A few years ago, three talented Berkeley-based jazz musicians decided to form a band in which they would play only Thelonious Monk compositions. It was an odd choice, in a way, since Monk is a famous pianist and composed for the piano, but the "Plays Monk" trio is made of drums, bass, and a clarinet. Still, it works. The clarinetist (Ben Goldberg) floats over the drums and bass with the same frenzied or laid-back feels that characterized Monk's own variegated style. The bassist (Devin Hoff) supports the melody and carries a number of thoughtful solos across the album. The drummer (Scott Amendola) keeps the beats changing and pushes on the rest of the trio. I realized that my favorite tracks are all tunes that I recognized (Reflections (tk 4), Four In One (tk 8), and Teo (tk 10)) but every track on this album is a clever construction and each is an enjoyable listen."