Two years after the death of pianist-composer Thelonious Monk, this very unusual and quite memorable double-LP tribute was put together. Producer Hal Willner's most successful project, the 23 interpretations of Monk originals all feature a different group of all-star players and stretch beyond jazz. Some of the performances are fairly straightforward while others are quite eccentric; certainly the crazy duet on "Four in One" by altoist Gary Windo and Todd Rundgren (on synthesizers and drum machines) and the version of "Shuffle Boil" featuring John Zorn on game calls (imitating the sound of ducks) are quite unique. There are many colorful moments throughout the project and the roster of musicians is remarkable: Bobby McFerrin with Bob Dorough, Peter Frampton, Joe Jackson, Steve Lacy, Dr. John, Gil Evans, Randy Weston, Roswell Rudd, Eugene Chadbourne and Shockabilly, the Fowler Brothers, NRBQ, Steve Khan, Carla Bley, Barry Harris, Was (Not Was) and many others. There is not a slow moment or uninteresting selection on this highly recommended set.
Best known for his stint fronting art pop hitmakers Supertramp, Roger Hodgson was born in Portsmouth, England, on March 21, 1950. While growing up in Oxford, Hodgson started playing guitar before he was a teenager, and was soon writing songs while at boarding school…
150 original early rock 'n' roll and rockabilly recordings from Jimmy Wages, Lee Cole, Ronnie Self, Pat Cupp, Tony Casanova, Walter Brown, Al Urban, Carl Phillips, Don Feger, Don Willis, Don Woody, Glenn Honeycutt, Gene Brown, Joey Castle, Mike Cashman and many others.
This superb collection is a must-have for all 1950s rockabilly fans and collections.
Top Notch was formed by songwriter and guitar player, Eric Kellogg, in 1984 and included Ken Robertson on vocals, Todd Jeffries on bass, and Mark Alderette on drums. The songs were primarily written by Eric Kellogg and Ken Robertson. The hard rock sound that they developed was melodic with blazing guitar solos. Top Notch recorded their first demo on an 8-track in the bedroom of one of their best friends. This was met with much acclaim and their songs were played on KLOS and KMET Southern California radio stations. This launched them into the LA rock scene, playing every major club including The Roxy, The Whisky, Gazzari’s, and the Troubadour, opening for who would become some of the largest rock bands such as Warrant, Rough Cut, Poison, and many others. Top Notch was then picked up by Available Management run by Alan Oken and David Libert, who managed bands such as Guns N Roses, Alice Cooper, and Bryan Adams.