Straight, No Chaser (composition)

Straight No Chaser (initially also Straight, No Chaser ) is a jazz standard, the Thelonious Monk composed and published in 1951. It is one of the most gecoverte compositions by Monk. Straight No Chaser is also the title of a Columbia album, which Orrin Keepnews in 1989 produced the soundtrack of the same name Monk film, directed by Charlotte Zwerin. The title is actually in use for drink orders and means something like " Pur, without soda. "

Design and structure of the composition

Straight No Chaser is a zwölftaktiger jazz blues, with three harmonies manages ( Bb7, Eb7, F7 ) and dispensed through chords. The melody consists essentially of a three beats long, ascending blues motif ( fb- cis -d), the newly attaches over again. " The root b of this figure initially falls on the first and fourth beat, the phrase comes after the rounding -c it to a halt. In the next four-bar start (cycle 3-6 ) drops the sound b turn in apparent three-quarter time on the beats 1 and 4 ( in measure 3), then the 3 ( in clock 3) and 2 ( measure 5 ). " Again, the phrase is performed only up to c. The subject will be introduced a third time clock to clock 12 7 Now is the figure one beat later, the b falls on the 2 in bar 7 and the 1 and 4 in measure 8 is only in measure 11, it " after a long chromatic eighth notes - rise (from f to it ) " back on the first beat. Found only in this implementation the design and its harmonious goal with the final note d

This composition is regarded in the jazz research as a prime example of the compositional style of Monk. "With rare vehemence Monk here the logic of his ( dreischlägigen ) subject > to < the ( vierschlägige ) chord structure develops. " The voltage so generated " between the completely planning Blues schema and a melody that could not be phrased irregular ", sometimes of four and sometimes consists of seven notes, is the " charm of the piece. "

First recordings

The song was recorded first on July 23, 1951 for Monks album Genius of Modern Music; it also appeared on single (A- side was Four in One, Blue Note 1589 ). " Even the solo entry ( fbc -cis -fc ) cited the subject, but especially at the beginning of the second solo chorus, it sounds to contacts long. " Then play Sahib Shihab and Milt Jackson more solos. 1956 was a first solo recording of the piece for Columbia. A next photo was taken on August 12, 1957 in the cooperation of Monk with Gerry Mulligan ( Mulligan Meets Monk on the album ). " In a relaxed, cool midtempo Muligan improvised " already during the presentation of the topic; "Monk accompanies the thought- baritone solo " with a reef figure he wins from the topic ... Mulligan supplemented with a deep counterpoint line a piano solo, which is characterized by spirited, capricious dissonances. There are numerous subsequent recordings of Monk.

Reception history

Cannonball Adderley was the first musician who took up Monk's composition and 1958 in a very " relaxed way " grossed. Only a month later, Miles Davis, who recorded an up -tempo version of Straight No Chaser John Coltrane and Adderley for his album Milestones; by Hans -Jürgen Schaal was the " decisive step into the standard repertoire ": In a relatively quick time other recordings of the piece came into existence through musicians such as Johnny Griffin, Eddie " Lockjaw " Davis, Eddie " Cleanhead " Vinson, Wes Montgomery, Lee Morgan or Quincy Jones. Many pianists have submitted their own versions of the piece, such as Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Kenny Barron, Keith Jarrett, Jessica Williams, Kenny Drew Jr., Chick Corea or Eddie Higgins.

" The extraordinary composition inspired stylists of all bearings -. Tenor Ben Webster from the swing on the bebop clarinetist Buddy DeFranco way to trumpet poet Chet Baker " 1978 reconstructed Heiner Stadler the piece as a " free-jazz digression " with George Adams, George Lewis and Stanley Cowell. " Bennie Wallace blew 1981 a peculiar trio version that mimicked Monks dissonant voicings with out- tones on the tenor sax. " Unusually, the interpretation as a salsa number by Tito Puente or by Nguyen Le as " funk-rock piece in 5/4 clock. "

Ben Sidran in 1986 wrote a text on the composition, in which he repeated the formal principle of the composition language. For the tones FbCd here are the words " You better look out ." Carmen McRae played in 1988 a more vocal version of the song under the title Get It Straight one; the words come from Sally Swisher. This text also interpreted Karrin Allyson.