What Makes This Album Great: Thelonious Alone In San Francisco

[@Bruce.-Wayne]

Never knew about this master piece album....about to buy it right now...😊

[@pianopeter]

yeah!

[@alexkerby1227]

Good stuff, guys! You captured one of the essences if jazz here, which is having fun. Keep up the good job

[@charlessutton3822]

Bespoke Gala!

[@daivyajadeja1820]

Would love it if you could do Soul Station Hank Mobley next!!!

[@neilh7702]

Gala

[@johncoyne3556]

GALA

[@tommymeyermusic]

it would have gotten a 10 in the name section if it was called “Thelonious Alonious in San Francisco”

[@SteveEspinola]

Yes.

[@chanakyasaikia4534]

Gala

[@thejoemonica]

GALA

[@stevenurdaneta2682]

Gala

[@BannIster-lf3gl]

Gala

[@mrcneale]

11:00 minutes. Missed opportunity to play the American Beauty theme 😂 Gala

[@geocosmicvalentine]

Wasn’t that AMAZING when the plastic bag appeared?! 😃👍🏽😍🥰 To me it was even more breathtakingly beautiful (literally took my breath away) than it was in the movie! 🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@ZorbaTheDutch]

Sometimes, there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it.

[@emmetband4931]

When you mention bad cover art I think of the woman with very red lipstick leaning against Brubeck's piano. Just bad.

[@davidlewis6762]

GALA- I just want to give a true and heartfelt thank you to both of you. I fell in love with piano and jazz in my teens / early 20's and then life happened and I hadn't found the initiative to return to the piano in a serious way. 15 years later because of this podcast I'm back and learning things / appreciating the music in a new way, and it has legitimately improved and brought joy to my life. Not trying to be dramatic but I hope you both realize that you're doing something meaningful. Separately - glad that you pointed out Reflections, first time I heard that tune was on Fred Hersch Plays Monk which I randomly found at my local public library - now my personal favorite Monk ballad, and that Hersch record is unreal if anybody here hasn't heard it. Thank you guys again!!

[@neilh7702]

Charlie, or Cherie? ;)

[@vineyardworker]

gala. You say snob-oh-mee-ter I say snob-ah-meh-ter.

[@clintjones9848]

Love this album. One thing I will say is that I think the sound is also one of the things that makes this album remarkable. Monk isn't playing all percussively like he usually does, there's this gentle touch, clear tone, and an almost transcendental aura to it. So I wouldn't rate it a 6. I can tell Peter also thought so and was hesitant to not rate the sound excellent. I think this is one of the best albums in all of jazz.

[@johnwilson5944]

Really enjoyed this lengthy discussion of probably my favourite artist X

[@PaulieStamets]

Don't even need to listen to know it will be a great episode Long live monk and you guys, you three are like long distance friends that I listen everyday.

[@pianopeter]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@sonofsheepdog]

GALA! Love this one but my favorite Monk solo record is probably the 1954 session (“Piano Solo”) on Vogue. Would love to hear your favorite solo Monk records ranked

[@Jerry_England1]

Great video guys! Please listen to Steve Khan and Donald Fagen’s version of Monks Reflections, it’s absolutely fabulous! Steve on acoustic guitar and Donald on synthesizer. Would love to know what you guys think of it!😊

[@bilalmotley3699]

I love this series. Thanks fellas! I'm learning a lot about my favorite albums.

[@pieterfannes8600]

I just don't agree on the snob-o-meter. Monk was my entry point into jazz, and I'm far from the only one. In all his quirkiness, he's quite accessible to the uninitiated, perhaps because he avoids the pyrometrics of some other jazzmen.

[@TomFazzini]

In terms of lore, I think I read he was on his own too, in that his wife wasn't with him on this occasion and may have been in hospital briefly at the time, lending him more introspection on this occasion than he may usually have had at a time of recording. It's my favourite Monk album, for sure.

[@OriginalWireman]

GALA ...and what happens to 'Better or worse than Kind of Blue' when the album under examination is Kind of Blue?

[@danielsalij]

Open Studio is awesome. I've enjoyed everything I've seen from you guys...which is a lot! I like the idea of breaking down and rating your favourite albums with this criteria, but I don't totally agree with 'playing' and 'vibe' getting the same amount of points as the title and album artwork. I think you might wanna consider weighting those categories a little differently. As much as I love great album artwork, it doesn't matter nearly as much to me as the actual playing. Anyways, your show, your rules. I'll still watch 100%. Great stuff, thank you to the whole team!

[@BOZOTREAT]

Monk's album sounds great! Only thing is you can't dance to any of the tunes. Jazz Snob, Gala

[@drewmfie]

speaking of interesting lore and solo piano albums, i think norman granz's art tatum solo masterpieces (pablo label) would be a very interesting can of worms to discuss

[@JoeMuscara]

Peter said, “daily jazz advice” 😂😂😂

[@pianopeter]

🥚

[@erikamagel9185]

GALA - thanks to modern times I could listen to the complete album right after the episode and I love it. Thank you for your part in my jazz education.

[@DavidHunte]

I always enjoy the conversation along with the music. Have you guys already done Pianomagic by Bobby Lyle (1991)

[@godswiph]

"Thelonius Alone" has a cool internal rhyme thing going on. Just sayin'. #Gala

[@papap-o4u]

What Makes This Album Great: Concert by the Sea

[@powlobo.m.b.]

Great stuff, I’m still confused about the snobmeter 😂

[@bb7alt691]

For some reason I’m craving a sherbet popsicle??? 😂

[@jakobnapotnik8047]

The orange microphones are quite distracting honestly

[@noahpettibon]

Gala. Stealing this rating system to do with my friends.

[@jorymil]

This is such a great album for transcribing.

[@BollockstoPop]

Buuuuut it'd also be really cool to do a video on Fugazi.

[@carolynpanofsky4162]

That’s “snob-o-metaah” in BOS

[@nilkilnilkil]

I think I will get the thelonious monk omnibook

[@luciusblackmail8129]

gala and i like your orange branded mics

[@toddhouston4523]

Gala. I’m not a musician but I love jazz. I love most of your shows.

[@dmytryk7887]

It seems strange to me to rate something like the cover art as having the same potential value as the playing. In this case there is also the fact that different releases have different covers. There are versions of the cover where the photo shows Monk inside the streetcar and you can see some buildings in the background. And I think there are versions with the same photo as yours but the backround is a slightly different color, more yellow or beige as I recall...which does give a slightly different vibe. I've seen versions of John Klemmer's excellent album "Nexus" with three totally different covers.

[@dangfd551]

Rating is entirely subjective and the criteria arbitrary.

[@mindaugaslisauskas6060]

4:12 Laptop splits in two

[@aaronteague8050]

Gala: Wonderful

[@obrsl]

Gala. Enjoying this format. Keep em coming

[@chrisbigred1]

GALA!

[@mateuszszewczyk6897]

Gala 🕺

[@abhinavkhokhar362]

Adam @ 19:32 😂

[@all12keez]

GALA!

[@fdddsdfgfgrgf1]

Gala

[@donkukki]

GALA

[@natehanson4421]

Gala

[@kennezv]

GALA

[@kennezv]

Gala

[@matheussantos8593]

gala

[@LaurenBerns]

GALA

[@TheophileCastel]

Gala

[@brw4807]

Gala

[@MrPorsillo]

gala

[@cawillms]

GALA

[@Bigpoppaabe8]

gala

[@geocosmicvalentine]

With all apologies to Adam. 🙏🏽 Peter, NEVER STOP SAYING “BESPOKE”. That is what this is! Why the discomfort about the word? Perhaps not wanting to push listeners away who may think they don’t belong here if they’re not knowledgeable enough? I’ve turned beginners onto this podcast (and to Open Studio’s channel) and they listen through even if they don’t understand what’s going on, (I also stick around when I don’t get certain topics, too). But I think one is also attracted to “the bespoke” if they are interested in jazz, jazz piano and the intricacies of jazz (piano). That’s why I’m here. Until Peter started using the word, I kept trying to find the right word and “bespoke” is it! Instead of being (possibly) afraid it will push people away, I think it attracts people. After all, jazz culture rises to the occasion of fancy vocabulary (the wonderful over-use of “copacetic”, etc.), elegant, tailored, fashion (even if it’s a hoodie) and refined taste in every genre of music. Do you fear being seen as the Frasier & Niles Crane of jazz? Please don’t be, it’s exactly what I’ve needed without knowing I needed it. GALA! 🎹🎷🎻🥰🌷🌺🌹

[@pianopeter]

thanks for all this! "Frasier & Niles Crane of jazz" 😂

[@geocosmicvalentine]

The one thing that made me approach watching that show and becoming a huge fan was how they displayed that Steinway Grand , lid always up, (no photos or objects on it every) hyper-respectful that it was an instrument they could both play - expertly! Classical and jazz!! When the show ended after 11 seasons it was the one object Kelsey Grammar chose to take from the set. 😎👍🏽🎹

[@steveloomis1]

GALA - Monk is the all time meta-winner of Name That Tune. Listen to one second of anything he ever played, and you know it's Monk. Love your videos!

[@MattLeGroulx]

ORANGEPOPFILTERS

[@GizzyDillespee]

Re-upload? What happened? Did you listen to a wrong clip, by mistake, or something? I already saw this video this morning. Hopefully i gave enough time to this 2nd listen for it to count as a view!🤣

[@marlablow116]

Gala - is this tied to the best jazz album bracket you did a week or two ago? If it isn’t, you should tie these conversations together…

[@RC_Cola2020]

There’s a jazz jam around the corner from Club Fugazi in San Francisco. It’s at Waystone 6 to 9pm on Mondays.

[@Wolfram53]

Thank you ! As always, it was a super show ! Really like the LEFXMOPHY orange pop filters, and think about the RØDE orange XLR cables for a more ( "*bespoke* . . .no don't use that, use another adjective") . . .striking component of the visual theme ! GALA oath keeper forever . . Peace Out !

[@patrickshainin4542]

Fun to get introduced to this album while learning Evidence. Thanks, Peter, for the great lessons on that tune also over at Open Studio. Gala

[@tetraqartet6798]

The very first album I heard was a double Lp, re-edited as Pure Monk by Jazz è bello, my uncle gave me when I was 13, gosh I fell on the couch overwhelmed❤ Genius Theloniuos

[@nickrees4706]

Was not aware of this album so thank you for this Easter egg which I will enjoy devouring. Easter came early this year.

[@PaulieStamets]

I agree with you both about aunt Linda and the possibility of her liking Monk, but I think Adam is a bit more aware. I remember the first time I listened to monk about 8 years ago, and I really didn't understand at all what all the fuss was about, more so with some of the classics that I today adore, so it took a while to grow on me. But at the same time pieces like Remember or Ruby My Dear are so good that any person who is able to listen would tend to like it, but I'm as biased as Peter, and they don't make the whole album. I started transcribing and then just bought the transcription of Remember, it's a great piece to work on your pulse

[@BobMazzo]

Gala...and what happened at 20:00 during the tally. Hysterical!!!😂

[@jackgalloway8314]

Listening to Monk and his ensemble live in Switzerland. Zurich.

[@viscose_matt]

Reflections is probably my favorite Monk tune, and this version of it is just beautiful

[@Musicman-i7z]

Gala. Seriously, thank you, this album is so good! Very good vibes!

[@jumble8135]

Aunt Linda would love Monk's music

[@labitalocamusic]

Gala! The jazz snob-o-meter was the chef's kiss to the rating system!

[@jayfoster]

Underground is my favorite album art

[@brucebyrnes125]

Great episode guys. I love this new concept, especially the jazz snob evaluation criteria 😂. GALA!

[@TWidXugA1]

Gala and subscription. Amazing album

[@lanceregan2571]

The last thing I do each night is listen to your Podcast. Always great. Thanks .L.R.

[@mdleavitt]

GALA, brothers! Now I gotta listen to some Monk.

[@laurenrodgers493]

GALA 🎶 would love to see more of these videos deep diving into different records, it helps broaden my listening!

[@tommonk7651]

Needless to say, I love Monk!

[@davidhession1913]

Yeaaaaaahhh! Love this album nice to have some more insight to it

[@lucanovello13]

Love this record! Gala ✨️

[@cytron5000]

gala. Gonna listen to this one

[@1superherobryce1]

Gala - love it guys

[@nathannegro9496]

gala, keep sharing!

[@kaizahui2133]

Gala asf

[@dankruvand4937]

Gala for this one!

[@itsvertx]

GALA!!

[@matthewfairman9865]

Gala...

[@markyachnin1901]

Gala!

[@paulbunyar1289]

GALA

[@zachnguyen1206]

GALA 🤝

[@mushroom1140]

Gala!!!