Sessionography 1947-1951

1947

October 15, 1947

WOR Studios, New York City

Thelonious Monk Sextet

Personnel: Idrees Sulieman (tp) Danny Quebec West (as) Billy Smith (ts) Thelonious Monk (p) Gene Ramey (b) Art Blakey (d)

1.         BN 308-0    Humph    rejected
2.         BN 308-1    Humph     rejected
3.         BN 308-2    Humph                                                    Blue Note 560, BLP1510,
4.         BN 309-0    Evonce    rejected
5.         BN 309-1    Evonce (alt take)
6.         BN 309-2    Evonce     rejected
7.         BN309-3     Evonce     rejected
8.         BN 309-4    Evonce                                                      Blue Note 547, BLP1511
9.         BN 310-0    Suburban Eyes    rejected
10.      BN 310-1    Suburban eyes                                           Blue Note 542, BLP1511
11.      BN 310-2    Suburban eyes (alt take)
12.      BN 311-0    Thelonious                                                  Blue Note 542, BLP1510

Notes: BLP1510 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1. Blue Note BLP1511 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2.  All released recordings available on the 4-CD set, Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (CDP 7243 5 30363 2-6)

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October 24, 1947

WOR Studios, New York

Thelonious Monk Trio

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (p) Gene Ramey (b) Art Blakey (d)

1.      BN 312-0    Nice work if you can get it (alt take)
2.      BN 312-1    Nice work if you can get it                             Blue Note 1575, BLP1511
3.      BN 313-0    Ruby my dear (alt take)
4.      BN 313-1    Ruby my dear                                                    Blue Note 549, BLP1510
5.      BN 314-0    Well you needn’t                                             Blue Note 543, BLP1510
6.      BN 314-1    Well you needn’t (alt take)
7.      BN 315-0    April in Paris (alt take)
8.      BN 315-1    April in Paris                                                   Blue Note 1575, BLP1510
9.      BN 317-0    Off Minor    rejected
10.    BN 317-1    Off minor                                                          Blue Note 547, BLP1510
11.    BN 316-0    Introspection   rejected
12.    BN 316-1     Introspection  rejected
13.    BN  316-2    Introspection  rejected
14.    BN 316-3    Introspection (1)                                             Blue Note BLP1510

Notes: BLP1510 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1. Blue Note BLP1511 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2.  All released recordings available on the 4-CD set, Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (CDP 7243 5 30363 2-6)

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November 21, 1947

WOR Studios, New York City

Thelonious Monk Quintet

Personnel: George Tait (tp) Sahib Shihab (as) [aka Edmund Gregory (as) ] Thelonious Monk (p) Bob Paige (b) Art Blakey (d)

1.        BN 318-0    In Walked Bud   rejected
2.        BN 318-1    In Walked Bud   rejected
3.        BN 318-2    In Walked Bud    rejected
4.        BN 318-3    In Walked Bud                                          Blue Note 548, BLP1510,
5.        BN319-0     Monk’s Mood                                            Blue Note 1565, BLP1511
6.        BN320-0     Who Knows?                                            Blue Note 1565, BLP1511
7.        BN 320-1    Who Knows?     rejected
8.        BN 320-2    Who Knows?     rejected
9.        BN 320-3     Who Knows?    rejected
10.      BN 320-4     Who Knows?    rejected
11.       BN 320-5     Who Knows?    rejected
12.       BN 320-6     Who Knows     rejected
13.       BN321-1    ‘Round Midnight                                Blue Note 543, BLP1510
14.       BN320-7    Who knows ? (alt take) (1)

Notes: BLP1510 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1.  Blue Note BLP1511 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2.  All released recordings available on the 4-CD set, Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (CDP 7243 5 30363 2-6)

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1948

February 16, 1948

WNYC Broadcast, “Festival of American Music,” New York

Thelonious Monk Quartet

Personnel: Idrees Sulieman (tp) Thelonious Monk (p) Curly Russell (b) Art Blakey (d)

1.     Just You, Just Me
2.     All the Things You Are
3.     Suburban Eyes (incomplete)

Notes: All titles released on Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum, The Vibes are On (Chazzer 2002).

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July 2, 1948

Apex Studios, New York City

Thelonious Monk Quartet

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (p) Milt Jackson (vib) John Simmons (b) Shadow Wilson (d) Kenny “Pancho” Hagood (vcl)

1.     BN 326-3    All the things you are (kh vcl)                   Blue Note 1201
2.     BN 327-1    I should care (alt take) (kh vcl)
3.     BN 327-2    I should care (kh vcl)                                   Blue Note 1201
4.     BN 328-0    Evidence                                                          Blue Note 549, BLP1509
5.     BN 329-0    Misterioso                                                       Blue Note 560, BLP1510
6.     BN 329-1    Misterioso (alt take)                                     Blue Note BLP1509
7.     BN 330-0    Epistrophy                                                      Blue Note 548, BLP1510
8.     BN 331-0    I Mean You   rejected
9.     BN 331-1    I Mean You                                                      Blue Note 1564, BLP1510

Notes: Blue Note 500 series are 78s.  BLP1510 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1.  BLP1511 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2.  BLP 1509 titled, Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quartet.  All released recordings available on the 4-CD set, Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (CDP 7243 5 30363 2-6)

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July 11, 1948

Onyx Club, New York City

Charlie Parker Quintet

Personnel: Charlie Parker (as) Thelonious Monk, Tommy Potter (b) Max Roach (d)

1.     Well you needn’t (1)

Notes: Released on Charlie Parker, The Complete Dean Benedetti Recordings (Mosaic MR10-129)

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November/December, 1948

Unknown Studio, New York City

Frankie Passion with the Thelonious Monk Quintet

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (p); probably Idris Sulieman (tp);  Charlie Rouse (ts); possibly Michael Mattos (b); possibly Jerry Smith (d); Frankie Passion (Frank Paccione) (vo).

1.     303        Especially to You   Washington 303
2.     304        Nobody Knows       Washington 303

Notes: Both songs on the compilation CD, Cool Whalin’ (Spotlite [E]SPJ 135)

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1950

June 6, 1950

Mercury Studios, New York,

Charlie Parker Quintet

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie (tp) Charlie Parker (as) Thelonious Monk (p) Curly Russell (b) Buddy Rich (d)

1.     C410-4    Bloomdido                                                  Clef 11058, MG C-512
2.     C411-3    An Oscar for Treadwell                           MG C-512
3.     C411-4    An Oscar for Treadwell                           Clef 11082, MG C-512,
4.     C412-3    Mohawk
5.     C412-6    Mohawk (issued as take 4 on LP)         Clef 11082, MG C-512
6.     C413-1    My Melancholy Baby (alt) (coda rehearsal, 5 secs) (*)
7.     C413-2    My Melancholy Baby                                 Clef 11058, MG C-512
8.     C414-1    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)
9.     C414-2    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)         –
10.  C414-3    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)         –
11.  C414-4    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)         –
12.  C414-5    Leap frog (*)         –
13.  C414-6    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)         –
14.  C414-7    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)         –
15.  C414-8    Leap frog (alt) (issued as take 4 on LP)
16.  C414-9    Leap frog (alt) (*)
17.  C414-10    Leap frog (incomplete) (*)
18.  C414-11    Leap frog (issued as take 6 on LP)                    Clef 11076, MG C-512
19.  C415-1    Relaxin’ with Lee (Incomplete) (*)
20.  C415-2    Relaxin’ with Lee (*)
21.  C415-3    Relaxin’ with Lee (*) (false start)
22.  C415-4    Relaxin’ with Lee (issued as take 2 on LP)
23.  C415-5    Relaxin’ with Lee (incomplete) (*)
24.  C415-6    Relaxin’ with Lee (issued as take 3 on LP)              Clef 11076, MG C-512

Notes: Clef releases are 78’s; MG C-512 is titled Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Bird and Diz.  All 24 takes on Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Bird and Diz (Verve  Master Edition 314 521 436-2 [CD])

1951

July 23, 1951

WOR Studios, New York City

Thelonious Monk Quintet

Personnel: Sahib Shihab (as) Thelonious Monk (p) Milt Jackson (vib) Al McKibbon (b) Art Blakey (d)

1.    BN 392-1    Four in One                                             BN 1589, BLP1511
2.    BN 392-2    Four in One (alt take)                          BLP1509
3.    BN 393-0    Criss Cross                                              BN 1590, BLP1509
4.    BN 393-1    Criss cross (alt take)
5.    BN 394-0    Eronel                                                       BN 1590, BLP1509
6.    BN 395-1    Straight No Chaser                                BN 1589, BLP1511
7.    BN 396-0     (1) Ask Me Now
8.    BN 396-1     (1) Ask Me Now                                     BN 1591, BLP 1511
9.    BN 397-0     (2) Willow Weep For Me   rejected
10.  BN 397-1     (2) Willow Weep For Me   rejected
11.  BN 397-2     (2) Willow Weep For Me                       BN 1591     BLP 1509

(1)  Omit Sahib Shihab and Milt Jackson

(2)  Omit Sahib Shihab

Notes: BN  1589, 1590, and 1591 are 78s.  BLP1510 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1.  BLP1511 titled, Thelonious Monk: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2. BLP 1509 titled, Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quartet.  All recordings available on the 4-CD set, Thelonious Monk: The Complete Blue Note Recordings (CDP 7243 5 30363 2-6)

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