actuellecd

Monk Work

Évidence, Thelonious Monk / Jean Derome, Pierre Cartier, Pierre Tanguay

Evidence’s Monk Work will be a comfortable listen for Monk fans. The New York City Jazz Record, USA

Évidence brings its own voice to this selection, mixing and matching the familiar and obscure in Monk’s repertoire. The WholeNote, Canada

Évidence is proud and happy to release Monk Work, its third album of Thelonious Monk’s compositions, and its first in 14 years.

Formed in 1985, Évidence is a Montreal-based trio exclusively dedicated to the study and interpretation of the 72 compositions penned by the American jazz great.

Monk Work has been recorded right after the group performed the beloved composer’s whole catalogue of compositions at “Marathon Monk”, a three-day event held at Montreal’s stylish Casa Obscura in the Spring of 2014.

Monk Work features 11 compositions by Monk, including the seldom performed Dreamland and Two Timer. A true monk working!

  • SODEC

CD (AM 218)

  • Label: Ambiances Magnétiques Jazz
  • AM 218
  • 2014
  • UCC 771028121823
  • Total duration: 59:54
  • Sympathique case
  • 126 mm × 126 mm × 5 mm
  • 35 g

On the web

Download (AM 218_NUM)

This item can be downloaded and/or listened to at evidencejazz.bandcamp.com.

Not in catalogue

This item is not available through our website. We have catalogued it for information purposes only.

Some recommended items
In the press

Review

Stuart Broomer, The WholeNote, no. 20:7, March 29, 2015

The compositions of Thelonious Monk represent a unique body of work in the jazz canon, pieces that have been explored repeatedly by musicians from mainstream to avant-garde, many finding something new in Monk’s quirky puzzles of rhythm and harmony. Among the most dedicated advocates is the Quebec trio Évidence, consisting of electric bassist Pierre Cartier, saxophonist Jean Derome and drummer Pierre Tanguay who together have been exploring Monk’s music since 1985, and who in 2014 interpreted his complete works in a three-day Montreal marathon. Évidence brings its own voice to this selection, mixing and matching the familiar and obscure in Monk’s repertoire. Stylistically Évidence invokes another master, Ornette Coleman, with Derome developing a similar lyricism while the rhythm section work masterfully through the kind of flexible, sprung rhythms that distinguished Coleman’s early work. Derome plays baritone on Coming on the Hudson with a wry wit akin to Monk’s own, while Cartier maintains fluid rhythm and Tanguay sustains the mood with light, crisp, animating brushwork. Derome’s vocalic alto comes to the fore in the fine three-way dialogue of Skippy.

Évidence brings its own voice to this selection, mixing and matching the familiar and obscure in Monk’s repertoire.

Review

Dolf Mulder, Vital, no. 970, February 16, 2015

Évidence present their third release of Monk interpretations. This group has a long history. Derome and Cartier played already Monk-compositions when they were operating as a duo in the 70s. For many years they played Monk for their own sake as a hobby. In 1993 they decided however to make a studio recording, Musique de Thelonious Monk. It was followed in 1999 by a live recording Live à la Casa. Now, some 14 years later they do another try. They choose 11 compositions, including Dreamland and Two Timer that are seldom performed. But also well-known pieces like Brilliant Corners. Their interpretations didn’t make me forget other interpretations, although they do it with joy and verve.

This group has a long history.

Ambiant sounds

Marc Chénard, La Scena Musicale, no. 20:5, February 1, 2015

Listening to Monk’s music is like meeting an old friend. Once deemed strange, his pieces now sound so familiar to our ears. And when three pals like Jean Derome (alto and baritone saxes), Pierre Cartier (el. bass) and Pierre Tanguay (drs) tackle them, it can only be a happy reunion. Named after a Monk piece, the group finally brings out its long awaited follow up album, some 14 years after its second one. Among the 10 nuggets culled on this hour-long side, the trio has dug deep into the book and unearthed two obscure items, Two Timer (never committed to wax by its composer) and the twice recorded Dreamland (attributed to him, as per the pianist’s authoritative biography by Robin Kelly). Conjectures aside, no one here can question the authenticity of these interpretations, because the musicians play it according to the maestro’s own prescription: “Don’t play on the changes, but on the melodies!

… no one here can question the authenticity of these interpretations…

Vitrine du disque

Serge Truffaut, Le Devoir, January 30, 2015

Le saxophoniste Jean Derome, le bassiste Pierre Cartier et le batteur Pierre Tanguay sont des gens très malins, dans le sens le plus intelligent du terme. À l’instar de ce qu’a fait Ben Riley, ex-batteur de Thelonious Monk, ils arrangent et réinterprètent les chefs-d’œuvre de ce dernier sans piano. Ils évitent ainsi les écueils de la comparaison stylistique et nous obligent, dans le sens le plus noble du terme, à goûter autrement toutes les subtilités sonores et sentimentales du capitaine Monk. Baptisé Évidence, du nom d’une composition du grand sachem du jazz, ce trio, il faut souligner mille fois plutôt qu’une, ausculte et contemple le grand livre des originalités monkiennes depuis… 1985! Les musiciens reprennent des thèmes connus, il va sans dire, auxquels ils ont greffé des pièces obscures, comme Work, Two Timer et Dreamland. Bon. Cet album est tout simplement époustouflant. Car à l’intelligence du jeu ils ont collé le sens aigu des nuances et la joie. Oui, ce Work est aussi joyeux. Bref, un régal.

… tout simplement époustouflant. […] Work est aussi joyeux. Bref, un régal.

Review

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, January 30, 2015

This is only the third disc from Evidence who formed in 1985, one per decade. This disc was recorded the same week that Evidence played the entire Thelonious Monk catalogue at a three-day festival in Montreal in the Spring of 2014, no easy feat. This trio has a joyous, jubilant quality that I dig. They sound as if they are having fun, swaggering slyly all the way. It is rare to hear Monk’s music played by an electric bassist but Mr. Cartier’s playing is central to the way this trio sounds. There are a number of highlights here like hearing “Jackie-ing” played on bari sax with such exuberance or the occasional solos from the bass or drums which have that effervescent quality and are an extension of the melody/theme. If you have ever seen a film of Thelonious Monk playing in concert, you know that liked to dance around the bandstand at times, his movements reflecting the structure and energy of the song being played. Hearing this music played by Evidence made me want to dance around as well. It just feels right or righteous.

It just feels right or righteous.

Recenzje

Łukasz Komła, Nowamuzyka, January 13, 2015

Trio Évidence (Pierre Cartier — bas, Jean Derome — saksofony, Pierre Tanguay — perkusja) powstało w 1985 roku w Montrealu, a „Monk Work” to ich trzeci w karierze longplay. Od samego początku twórczość Évidence jest nastawiona wyłącznie na interpretowanie kompozycji Theloniousa Monka. Nowe nagrania tria powstały w czasie tzw. „Marathon Monk”, który odbył się wiosną zeszłego roku w Montrealu. Album „Monk Work” to nie tylko znakomita pozycja dla miłośników bebopu i jazzu, ale też ciekawa odskocznia od elektronicznych brzmień.