“Epistrophy” launches HarmoniMonk Vol. 13, which will be released serially. I anticipate a new drop every 4 to 6 weeks for a while.
There’s a whole mess of harmonica here, as usual, but we also got us some vivacious dialog with drummer Richard Huntley. Though geographical ( and social ) distance precluded a live session, Rich more than compensates for the lack of physical co-presence to provide loquacious, swinging counterpoint to all the careening tin sandwich jabber.
For my part, I strove to play “epistrophically”, defined by Merriam-Webster as "the repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect". Monk was a master of the art of “repetition without redundancy”, and I aspire to that elusive quality here as Rich and I romp through stride, swing, and Afro-Cuban 6/8 feels sandwiched between a spooky free-time intro and outro.
About the tune
From:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Thelonious_Monk?wprov=sfti1
"Epistrophy" (initially called "Fly Rite" or "Iambic pentameter") was co-written by Monk with drummer Kenny Clarke, and was copyrighted on June 2, 1941. This was the first tune copyrighted by Monk. It is a relatively atonal 32-bar tune in ABCB-form, though the key center is C♯.
The main melodic theme was composed by Clarke, after experimenting with fingerings on the ukulele, and the chords were written by Monk.
The tune appears on almost every single live album by Monk, as it was the closing tune of each set from Monk's days at Minton's Playhouse onwards. The first recording was by Cootie Williams on April 1, 1942, and it was later recorded by Clarke's band on September 5, 1946. It was not recorded by Monk before July 2, 1948, for the Wizard of the Vibes sessions, featuring Milt Jackson. It was later recorded for Monk's Music and was an outtake from the It's Monk's Time sessions.
released June 5, 2021
Richard Huntley — drums
Randy Weinstein — harmonicas, arrangement