Learn Ben Grey’s essential evaluation of jazz covers of Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie” composition, together with notable variations by Jason Moran, Greg Lewis and extra!

Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie”, Monk’s Music (1957)

Thelonious Monk wrote “Crepuscule with Nellie” for his spouse (the eponymous Nellie) when she was having surgical procedure for a thyroid dysfunction in 1957. “Crepuscule” first appeared on a Monk album that very same yr, Monk’s Music.

The CD re-issue of this album consists of a number of takes of the tune; first, the extra polished, finished-sounding model. Monk on the piano is joined right here by Artwork Blakey on the drums, Wilbur Ware on bass, Gigi Gryce, Coleman Hawkins, and John Coltrane on saxophones, and Ray Copeland on trumpet.

This model begins with a solo piano introduction from Monk earlier than the drums and bass be a part of Monk on this stunning ballad. Monk lets his chords ring out beneath the melody and Wilbur Ware’s bowed bass underneath a few of these phrases is simply good.

Blakey’s drums on this model of the tune are largely understated brushed snare to offer the environment. Round 1:20 or so, Monk performs a really catchy phrase from this melody that may change into an necessary a part of Jason Moran’s model (extra on that under).

At about 2:15, the horns take part and fill out the “Crepuscule” melody. Right here, Monk performs the melody in unison with the horns, including some piano fills in between phrases (and generally letting the silence in between phrases make an announcement as effectively).

Round 3:30, the phrase that Monk launched round 1:20 on piano returns, this time with Monk and the horns enjoying in unison. This model of “Crepuscule” is simply stunning stuff, largely written music with some room for improvisation as effectively.

Thelonious Monk’s “Crepuscule with Nellie”, Paris 1969 (2013)

Monk stored “Crepuscule with Nellie” in rotation effectively past its first look on Monk’s Music. Launched in 2013, Paris 1969 features a solo piano model of “Crepuscule,” twelve years after its first look.

This model is a reasonably stripped-down affair, with Monk actually specializing in the essence of the tune with out a lot soloing or improvising exterior of the written melody. The music begins very like the unique model on Monk’s Music, however no drums or bass take part.

In consequence, Monk performs the entire bass elements and implies the rhythmic bits that Blakey’s drums added on Monk’s Music. Monk performs with house right here, letting the total chords ring out, then beginning to add some proper hand runs round 1:40 or so. He ends the tune simply after 2:00 with a proper hand trill and cheers of “Bravo!”

Twelve years after the tune’s first look, Monk continued to search out curiosity within the melody. On Paris 1969, he lets that melody make its case with out feeling the necessity to add a lot in the way in which of improvisation apart from some proper hand runs towards the top of the tune.

Whereas there are a lot of variations of “Crepuscule” by Monk, together with some nice variations from Criss-Cross, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane and Stay at City Corridor, amongst others, I’ll have a look at among the many canopy variations of this tune right here.

Jason Moran’s “Crepuscule with Nellie”, Ten (2010)

First, let’s take a look at Jason Moran’s “Crepuscule with Nellie” from his 2010 album Ten. This model consists of Moran’s common bandmates Tarus Mateen on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums.

Moran begins this model with a bit of the “Crepuscule” melody from the center of the tune, organising a pleasant vamp. At about 0:50, the band strikes into a brand new part that features a portion of Monk’s “Crepuscule” melody; it’s virtually as if Moran has put Monk’s tune right into a sampler, chopped and looped it, and is taking a incredible piano solo on high of that.

Mateen and Waits arrange a really robust groove right here… good floating really feel round 2:00 or so, after which at 2:15, the band will get right into a bluesy vamp primarily based on the “Crepuscule” melody and Mateen solos on high of this as Moran’s piano takes the low finish.

At about 3:20, Mateen’s bass solo involves an in depth. The trio continues their vamp, right here with Moran’s piano ornamenting the fundamental vamp and including in fills. Nice, nice enjoying from all three members of the band right here in a robust groove.

At about 4:30, the band brings it method down after which returns to one thing extra like Monk’s “Crepuscule” to complete the tune. They play by this and produce their model to an in depth over Waits’ drum roll; Moran performs the melody as soon as extra in a excessive register, echoing Monk’s ending on this tune.

I’ll additionally point out right here that Moran performs this tune in his dwell units; it was included in a set on the Village Vanguard that was recorded by NPR, and one other cool model with an enchanting interview with Moran speaking concerning the challenges of enjoying Monk might be seen proper under.

Greg Lewis’ “Crepuscule with Nellie”, Organ Monk: Uwo within the Black (2012)

Shifting on from Moran’s model, one other model of “Crepuscule” additionally featured Nasheet Waits’ drumming. This model is from Greg Lewis’ 2012 album Organ Monk: Uwo Within the Black (an album dedicated to Monk’s music), and is a duet between Lewis on organ and Waits on drums.

This model begins with Lewis enjoying each the melody and including the bass basis as Waits’ drums skitter beneath. Lewis and Waits take this at a reasonably sluggish and unfastened tempo within the opening of the tune right here.

The organ provides an attention-grabbing really feel to a few of Monk’s chords, very totally different from the piano; try the large chord round 2:05-2:10 or so and once more round 2:40 as Lewis provides this a considerably demented really feel towards the ending.

Attention-grabbing model of the tune, maybe not a definitive model of “Crepuscule,” however very totally different from the various piano-led variations of the tune and effectively price testing.

Spike Wilner’s “Crepuscule with Nellie”, La Tendresse (2012)

The following model of “Crepuscule With Nellie” I’ll have a look at right here is from Spike Wilner, who’s each the pianist on this model and the proprietor of Small’s Jazz Membership. Wilner’s 2012 album La Tendresse options Dezron Douglas on bass and Joey Saylor on drums.

Their model of “Crepuscule” begins with a solo piano introduction from Wilner. It’s a Monk-ish introduction, however Wilner is clearly not attempting to copy Monk right here, and as a substitute brings his personal fashion to the tune.

At about 1:05 after a incredible introduction to the tune, Douglas and Saylor be a part of Wilner. They dig into this tune as a blues, opening as much as a piano solo from Wilner round 2:10 over straightforward, swinging drums from Saylor and a strolling bassline from Douglas.

Wilner’s solo is superb and fully authentic whereas staying true to Monk’s melody right here. Good stuff round 3:45 because the trio performs by the top of the tune once more, considerably loosely.

They end the top of the tune and produce this actually nice piano trio model of “Crepuscule” to an in depth.

Conclusion

This might go on, nevertheless it’s already turning into a protracted record. A fast perusal of allmusic.com, Grooveshark, Myspace, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube will discover many extra variations of this tune, together with tons out there to stream on-line… all of Monk’s variations are nice.

There are additionally some actually ingenious variations from the Kronos Quartet, separate variations from Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, and Ellis Marsalis, variations from Joe Lovano, Paul Motian, Steve Lacy, SFJAZZ Collective, Jessica Williams, Anthony Brown’s Asian American Orchestra, Marcus Roberts, Mark Turner, Fred Hersch … on and on and on.

The variations included right here aren’t meant to be encyclopedic, clearly, and aren’t even actually meant to indicate the entire totally different instructions that this music has gone since its first look over fifty years in the past on Monk’s Music.

It’s served as a automobile for piano many occasions over, but additionally for organ, guitar, sax, strings, and has been performed as a ballad and in addition as a hard-grooving tune. The place to subsequent? Preserve listening.

Additionally on this collection

Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma”
Freddie Hubbards’s “Pink Clay”
Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly”
Joe Henderson’s “Black Narcissus”
John Coltrane’s “Syeeda’s Tune Flute”
Miles Davis’ “Nardis”
Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Girl”
Roy Ayers’ “Everyone Loves the Sunshine”
Stanley Cowell’s “Equipoise”
Stevie Surprise’s “Isn’t She Beautiful”
Wayne Shorter’s “Fall”