LONDON COLLECTION 1

THE LONDON COLLECTION VOL. 1 is also available with THE LONDON COLLECTION VOL. 2 and THE LONDON COLLECTION VOL. 3 in the 3-CD box set THE COMPLETE LONDON COLLECTION (Black Lion 7601). THE LONDON COLLECTION VOL. 1 collects ten solo performances by Thelonious Monk. Solo performer: Thelonious Monk (piano). Recorded at Chappell Studios, London, England on November 15, 1971. Includes liner notes by Alun Morgan. Solo performer: Thelonious Monk (piano). Recorded at Chappell Studios, London, England on November 15, 1971. Includes liner notes by Alun Morgan. All tracks have been digitally remastered using 24-bit technology. Consisting of 10 solo pieces, Monk's performance on THE LONDON COLLECTION VOL. 1 was his last major recording session before receding into seclusion. Like many of his classic albums, Monk mixes his own brilliant compositions such as "Trinkle Tinkle" and "Crepuscule With Nellie" with other standards. "Darn That Dream" is a somber, thoughtful affair, as is "My Melancholy Baby," with Monk playing a slow, low-end left hand on both songs. The LONDON version of "Crepuscule With Nellie" (dedicated to his wife) is surprisingly short, but along with "Little Rootie Tootie" (written for his son) and Jackieing (for his niece), it furthers the album's personal tone. Overall, Monk's playing on this session is unusually warm and fluid, at times revealing a departure from the more overtly angular style of his earlier days. Still, this is the same Monk who believed that the spaces between the notes were just as important as the notes themselves, a philosophy as apparent as ever on these songs. Given that Monk entered into a largely non-communicative state soon after this recording, it could be said that these are some of his final eloquent musical words.