Thelonious Monk a hidden gem from a bygone era

The eccentrically hatted Thelonious Monk at the Auckland Town Hall in 1965. Picture / Herald

Thelonious Sphere Monk was one of the most gifted - and eccentric - of all jazz musicians. The memorably named pianist/composer, who died in 1982 aged 64, helped to define the Bebop movement and his quirky, angular compositions are among the most memorable in jazz.

To drive them home he gave them titles such as Epistrophy, Humph, Crepuscle With Nellie and Well You Needn't.

His most well-known tunes include Round Midnight and Straight No Chaser which still present challenges and opportunities for jazz performers.

Monk - known for his peculiar taste in hats and strange dancing on stage - laid down the templates for his unique style in the late 1940s but it took a decade, and then some, for him to be widely recognised as the genius he undoubtedly was.

In mid-1957 he invited the 30-year-old saxophonist John Coltrane to join his band.

Regrettably, only three tracks of this group were recorded, on the Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane album, yet they are considered cornerstones of the urgent jazz of the period.

Coltrane was still some years away from his later sheets of sound style and the probing, spiritual music he is best known for, yet with Monk he began to play in a different way: notably longer solos and playing various notes simultaneously, a technique Monk taught him, which defined his later style.

By the end of 1957 Monk had disbanded the group but that six months was a crucial period which makes the release of a recently discovered Library of Congress tape of a live concert so exciting.

The At Carnegie Hall album was recorded in November. Also on the extraordinary bill were Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Chet Baker and Sonny Rollins, and the material performed were standards from the Monk canon: Monk's Mood, Evidence, Crepuscle, Nutty, Epistrophy, Blue Monk, Sweet and Lovely, and Bye-Ya.

What is immediately evident is how effortless this music sounds for the players who had been developing it in the 5 Spot Cafe for months: Coltrane coasts into complex and emotionally busy solos as if they are second nature, Monk's upbeat playing has little of the astringency many associate with his style, and the rhythm section joyously support the frontmen.

It all sounds approachable, witty and inventive. So you can put aside the expectation of weightiness that comes with historic recordings and simply immerse yourself in these 50 minutes of genius.

Also on reissue is a terrific double disc by trombonist Joe Bowie's fiery funk outfit Defunkt, which picks up their self-titled early 80s debut album and the even more incendiary follow-up Thermonuclear Sweat.

By joining the dots between James Brown's soul-funk horns, the meltdown of jazz and rock that Ornette Coleman and post-Hendrix guitarist James Blood Ulmer were exploring, and sassy grooves, this big and bold outfit (which featured Joe's trumpeter brother Lester, and guitarist Vernon Reid, later of Living Colour) produced some of the most energetic and exciting music of the period. Defunkt were subsequently marginalised by rap, rock and even jazz but in their time they delivered thrilling funk, beyond the call of duty.

And just to reassure that not all jazz is on reissue comes Neighbourhood under the name of percussionist Manu Katche but is in fact an ECM supergroup which includes saxophonist Jan Garbarek and trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. This is a long way from Katche's work with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Sting and other world music travellers. Here he adopts the whole ECM minimalist elegance and democratically demurs to his fellow players, who craft this subtle if sometimes slightly bloodless affair.

Most attention falls on the poised melodicism of pianist Marcin Wasilewski (whose Trio album for the label scored four stars in these pages in June), and Garbarek brings an absorbing solo to the centrepiece Good Influence. But this field has been much turned over and Katche and crew rarely offer much that's new.

Finally something local: Gahu stride between world music and jazz, which is the home to many wearing clothes borrowed from both camps. But they do it with great energy, sociability and commitment, and their Hot Planet album of last year still commands my CD player.

The new album Shell Money doesn't mess much with the likeable formula which brings various African guitar styles (hi-life, Afrobeat) to the fore, although the title track has a fair smattering of the Pacific in it before vocalist YB from Ghana enters and the track heads elsewhere.

This is mostly musically uplifting stuff - Santana guitars, busy percussion - but there is a serious subtext in places, although the primary school analysis of world politics on the lumpy Abu Ghraib No Way with rapper The Downlow suggests they might be better off leaving that to keener minds.

But I expect to be hauling this one out regularly come summer.

Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane
At Carnegie Hall (Blue Note/EMI)

Herald rating: * * * * *

Recently discovered tapes reveal the rare meeting of jazz geniuses but is far from difficult listening.

Defunkt

Defunkt + Thermonuclear Sweat (Ryko)

Herald rating: * * * *

Early 80s bottom heavy, horn-driven jazz party-funk that is still exciting.

Manu Katche
Neighbourhood (ECM/Ode)

Herald rating: * * *

Fairly ordinary ECM outing despite heavy hitters with percussionist-to-the-stars Katche.

Gahu
Shell Money (Southbound)

Herald rating: * * *

Local entry in the world music/jazz crossover stakes proves mostly likeable and lively.