Sessionography 1944-1946

1944

October 19, 1944

Empire Studios, New York City

Coleman Hawkins Quartet

Personnel: Coleman Hawkins (ts) Thelonious Monk (p) Bass Robinson (b) Denzil Best (d)

1.         Recollections                                        Joe Davis 8251
2.         Drifting on a reed                                 Joe Davis 8250
3.         Flyin’ Hawk                                          Joe Davis 8250
4.         On the Bean                                          Joe Davis 8251

Notes: Titles also released on Coleman Hawkins, Bean and the Boys (Prestige PCD24124-2 [CD]); Bean & Ben: Coleman Hawkins/Ben Webster (Harlequin (E)HQCD04 [CD]); Thelonious Monk —  The Complete Prestige Recordings (Prestige 4428-2 [CD])

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1946

June 26-27, 1946

Broadcast, Spotlite Club, New York City

Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Burns, Talib Ahmad Dawud, Kenny Dorham, John Lynch, Elmon Wright (tps); Leon Comegys, Charles Greenlee, Alton “Slim” Moore (tbs); Howard Johnson, Sonny Stitt (as); Ray Abrams, James Moody (ts); Pee Wee Moore (bar); Thelonious Monk (p);  Milt Jackson (vib-1); Ray Brown (b); Kenny Clarke (d).

1.           Shaw ‘Nuff/I Waited For You
2.           Our Delight
3.           Groovin’ High
4.           The Man i Love
5.           Ray’s Idea
6.           Cool Breeze
7.           Oo Bop Sh’Bam
8.           ‘Round Midnight
9.           Second Balcony Jump
10.        Day By Day
11.        Convulsions
12.        Woody ‘n You
13.        Lazy Mood
14.        One Bass Hit
15.        Things To Come
16.        I Waited For You
17.        Shaw ‘Nuff/I Waited For You
18.        Our Delight
19.        Second Balcony Jump
20.        Things To Come
21.        The Man I Love
22.        Don’t Blame Me
23.        Grosvenor Square
24.        One Bass Hit
25.        Things To Come
26.        I Waited For You

Notes: Some of these titles appear on Dizzy Gillespie ’46: Live at the Spotlite (Hi-Fly H-01);The Legendary Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (Bandstand BDCD1534 [CD]).  The most complete recording is the recently released, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Showtime at the Spotlite: 52nd Street, New York City, June 1946 (Uptown  2754).

Some discographies list a June 10, 1946 studio recording date Gillespie’s band made for Musicraft, but I have found no evidence that Monk was a part of that session.  More recently, others have suggested the date of June 28th for the date of these recordings, but that was also the same night Dizzy’s big band opened at the Apollo.  Given that they performed five short sets a night and how late they would have left the theater that Friday, it is unlikely that they also played at the Spotlite the very same night.

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