Thelonious Monk Trio - "Bemsha Swing" Vinyl, 7", EP, 45 RPM, France, 1960 (Barclay)

I found this slightly battered copy of this French 7" EP at Rockaway Records this evening.   These are four songs that were selected from his 1952 recording with the great drummer Max Roach and bassist Gary Mapp.   This is 7" of magic.  Offhand, I'm having dirty sexual thoughts tying this, but alas, I'm talking about the aural pleasure that comes with the name Thelonious Monk.  

There are four songs on this EP, and they are "Bemsha Swing," Reflections" and then go to side two, for "Trinkle Tinkle" and classic beautiful "These Foolish Things" written by Strackey and Link.  Monk wrote the other three and they are brilliant.   There are three great pianists that I'm aware of, one is Glenn Gould, the other is Ron Mael from Sparks, and then there is Monk.   This is an artist who sees music as a piece of sculpture, and what he does is gently trace the melody as if it was on thin rice paper.   I never heard another pianist who had this approach to melody and treating it like a beautiful lover.   

I'm imaging that this EP was once owned by someone like Juliette Gréco, who played it while drinking wine in a juice glass and looking outside her window and watching the leaves fall from trees.  I imagine a lot of things, but I always have a soundtrack to my fantasies.  Here's one of many. 

Oscar Levant - "Oscar Levant Plays Chopin" Vinyl LP, 1952 (Columbia Masterworks)

As Oscar Levant was once quoted that "what the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left."  Which comes to mind while listening to Levant's recording and playing Chopin.  Both were clearly the genius, in their ability to change one's landscape to fit their presence in that world.  I'm a long time fan of Levant's wit and Chopin's melodies.  A lunatic, like him and another quotable genius, Serge Gainsbourg, loved Chopin's music.  One wonders what they saw in him that made them both be such fans.   There is sadness in Chopin's music, and I suspect both suffered from the dregs of depression.  I wouldn't say they were depressive artists, but more of the fact that they had to run ahead of the dark depression as it tries to take over their soul/lives. 

This is an album of Chopin hits performed by the hysterical lunatic Oscar Levant.  I can't think of a more perfect relationship.  For Levant playing Chopin and for the listener to dwell in both of their worlds.