According to Keepnews, the pianist played more distinctly here than on his studio albums in response to the audience's enthusiasm during the performance. One of the first successful live recordings of Monk's music, Misterioso was produced by Orrin Keepnews of Riverside Records. Along with Thelonious in Action (1958), Misterioso captures portions of the ensemble's August 7 show at the venue.
He returned there the following year for a second stint with his quartet, featuring drummer Roy Haynes, bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin. By the time of its recording, pianist and bandleader Thelonious Monk had overcome an extended period of career difficulties and achieved stardom with his residency at New York's Five Spot Café, beginning in 1957. Misterioso is a 1958 live album by American jazz ensemble the Thelonious Monk Quartet. And a must not just for "jazz purists" but music lovers in general.The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall Chamber, suggestive film in black and white about an extraordinary man.
Luckily, there is plenty here of the latter.
Another memorable thing is Monk's diction and his simple, street-like way of talking, being in contradiction with the kind of a man he was (supposedly extremely complex one) and with undeniably sophisticated music he composed and performed. And trademark exotic hats (could anyone else in the 20th century look cool in that historic Polish head thingy?). The makers were able to grasp tension coming from creative process (songs being written on the run, then played in front of huge audience without proper rehearsal), routine of life on tour with ever-tendering wife Nellie by his side, biased or just silly questions from journalists, more or less visible symptoms of mental illness (which might have been confused with artist's mannerisms, stage antics or eccentricities at most). And a note about unusual, long-lasting friendship between Thelonius and Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter. Apart from typical format of 'talking heads' of the genre master (John Coltrane), collaborators, figures from music business and Thelonius, Jr., there is shown small but intense piece of the musician's life: in the studio, on the road, during live concerts. Thelonius Monk is portrayed as an artist both blessed and cursed just by his genius. Clint Eastwood presents: a documentary about jazz genius.
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