San Francisco Bay Area fixtures Chuck Bernstein, Si Perkoff, and Frank Passantino join forces
to produce the finest Thelonious Monk recital of the new millennium. Gleefully, this trio has avoided
the tried and true Monk classics; so do not expect to hear "’Round Midnight," "Blue
Monk," or "Straight, No Chaser." Familiarity with these pieces only helps, but listening to
this disc will readily provide you with all of the musical elements characteristic of the composer.
Spearheaded by drummer Chuck Berstein, Harmony of Odd Numbers plays on paper
like a tribute recording, but it's anything but. It is rather an in-depth investigation into the craggy
mind of Monk. Pianist Si Perkoff acts as musical director. Mr. Perkoff is a St. Louis native who made
his way west to record with Mike Vax, Art Pepper, and Harry "Sweets" Edison. He has
been an educator for the past 30 years. Perkoff’s approach to Monk is one of the solidly best that I
have heard in many years. His command to the prickly master’s work is unsurpassed.
The band picks some of the least performed Monk pieces for treatment here. The most
outspoken are the opener, "Thelonious," and "Blue Boliver Blues"; the most
introspective are "Ugly Beauty" and "Crepuscule with Nellie." These pieces
are presented in a tightly arranged trio format that crackles with electricity. The trio, acting in
concert, buffs Monk’s music without removing its perfect rough beauty.
For more information, visit
Si Perkoff on the web.
~ C. Michael Bailey
