Since I really enjoyed doing last month's post - recording a tenor solo on Thelonious Monk's “Bemsha Swing” then transcribing it and posting them both here - I thought I'd try an encore with another Monk classic - “Bye-Ya”
“Bye-Ya” was originally recorded on October 15th, 1952 and, as with the aforementioned "Bemsha Swing", was initially released as part of the album “Thelonious Monk Trio”. The title given was actually “Vaya”, which remains an expression of positive affirmation in many Spanish speaking cultures – and was anglicized into “Bye-Ya”.
Subsequent versions were recorded featuring tenor greats Johnny Griffin and long time quartet member Charlie Rouse, as well as Steve Lacey's recording on soprano saxophone, but the definitive version - for me - is the 1957 Carnegie Hall concert featuring the immortal John Coltrane. 'Trane knew this tune so well that he was able to deliver his then patented “sheets of sound” - cascades of sixteenth-notes – for almost the entirety of his solo.
“Bye-Ya” was originally recorded on October 15th, 1952 and, as with the aforementioned "Bemsha Swing", was initially released as part of the album “Thelonious Monk Trio”. The title given was actually “Vaya”, which remains an expression of positive affirmation in many Spanish speaking cultures – and was anglicized into “Bye-Ya”.
Subsequent versions were recorded featuring tenor greats Johnny Griffin and long time quartet member Charlie Rouse, as well as Steve Lacey's recording on soprano saxophone, but the definitive version - for me - is the 1957 Carnegie Hall concert featuring the immortal John Coltrane. 'Trane knew this tune so well that he was able to deliver his then patented “sheets of sound” - cascades of sixteenth-notes – for almost the entirety of his solo.
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