JazzKLUB / Monk’s Casino / How to love Monk? Unorthodoxically! - NOSPR

Reportedly, for many years, Alexander von Schlippenbach was considered the only European able to play Monk’s Off Minor properly. An exquisite proof of how well the German free jazz legend felt Monk was the album Monk’s Casino, probably the first instance in history, in which all, nearly seventy, of Monk’s compositions were recorded together. The ensemble, made up of great personalities of European improvised music, such as Axel Dörner and Rudi Mahall – whose personal attitudes to Monk are no less interesting – proved perfect and has now been performing together for twenty years. The group’s formula has not burnt out, as the last thing to be expected from Schlippenbach is an orthodox approach to originals. Nevertheless, there is respect and love for the music by the composer of Epistrophy to be found in every sound of those, very personal, interpretations. 

Tomasz Gregorczyk