Friday the 13th

Happy Friday the Thirteenth! That's the name of the old Thelonious Monk composition that first appeared in 1954 on the great album Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins and that has been covered many times. This is the Steve Lacy version, with Roswell Rudd wah-wah-ing away, from the 1982 album Regeneration that All Music Guide to Jazz calls "the consensus album of the year in 1983." I assume they just mean jazz albums, because of course Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks came out that year. The CD isn't available new, but the album is available at the iTunes store for $5.94. Bob Burnett had this waiting in my inbox this morning, making a perfect start to the day.

Let's have a listen then.

Mike
(Thanks to Bob)

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Wm. Mitchell: "Thank you for sharing. This made my afternoon! This is my first comment on your blog, but I am a longtime reader. I have the Monk and Rollins version on LP and CD and had not heard this recording. I feel refreshed."

Featured Comment by Paul Van: "It's bad luck to be superstitious."

Featured Comment by Pascal Suavé: "First time hearing that song. It's a brilliantly arranged dissonant piece but I'm still chuckling hours later since it kinda sounds like a really drunk New Orleans orchestra playing 'moody' music for yet another Twilight movie. P.S. Love the really blatty trombone—hilarious."

Comments

[Bryce Lee]

Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo, would never do a strip for Friday the 13th, often the place where the strip was blocked to be, it was blank.

Wise man!

[Bill Corbett]

Happy Friday 13th to you, Mike. Thanks for your site from someone who was born on Friday 13th of September, 1946. (I'm not very superstitious...)

[Manuel]

Interesting music. Not sure about Lacy's soprano sax, which at times sounds like a drunk man quarreling in an alley on Mardi Gras, but I love the bass. And the piano is just so Monk-esque. Steve Lacy had several stints with Thelonious Monk, which shows in this theme. Thanks for posting.

[Christopher Lane]

Mike,

Thanks!!!!!! Monk, Sonny and Neil in one post. I am in heaven.

Chris

[The Lazy Aussie]

Listening to old vinyl to go with my old Onkyo, amazing how otherwise great performers felt the need to do endless crappy Beatles covers. Everyone but everyone was doing them. Seem to remember reading that Monk was about the only one ever to have refused.

[MJFerron]

I am musically daft even though I've been messin' with a guitar for years now. I love Classic Rock (the real good stuff) Real Classic, Blues, Reggae, some Celtic, Folk and I'm trying to like jazz. The pop stuff is ok and I know some think Miles Davis is the 2nd coming and can appreciate Miles until he keeps playing bumble bee on his horn until I want to shout "ok dude I get it. You can play bumble bee with your horn" I'm gonna have to deepen my love of music to get into that Monk/Rollins tune. yikes!! LOl

[Hans Muus]

Only listened to it this morning - what a lovely crazy piece! At the bottom there seems to be nothing more than what later (in my garage band environment) came to be known as a 'Hit the road, Jack - progression'. One of the very few times I can at least think that I hear the chords correctly. And to top it off ( not that it is really important), there are two Dutch musicians involved - Mengelberg and Bennink, the craziest (in the very best sense of the word) musical pair that Holland has ever seen. Thank you, Mike! Wish there were more bad luck days...

[Steve Biro]

Thanks for sharing, Mike. And, finally, someone else who A) remembers and B) appreciates Neil and the Shocking Pinks!

[David]

What Biro said. I borrowed a friend's LP back when it was new and made a mediocre cassette dupe. Years later I was looking for a CD and the only available was a French import. $17, ouch.

But I had to.

It may or may not be surprising but today the LP is on my list of older stuff to track down.