Playlists Three

A blurb on the back of The Rough Guide Book of Playlists says “Rufus Wainwright to Thelonious Monk.”  Sounds like another couple for me to do.

Rufus Wainwright is my favorite “new” artist.  I know he’s not new any more, but his first album is only ten years old, and he was only about 25 years old when he made it.  I love the lush chords, the harmonies, and the fancy, fancy arrangements.  Poses is my favorite of his albums, but they’re all wonderful.  Here’s my Rufus Wainwright Playlist:

1. Foolish Love (from Rufus Wainwright)
2. April Fools (from Rufus Wainwright)
3. Beauty Mark (from Rufus Wainwright)
4. Poses (from Poses)
5. The Tower of Learning (from Poses)
6. Vicious World (from Want One)
7. Go or Go Ahead (from Want One)
8. Natasha (from Want One)
9. Little Sister (from Want Two)
10. Tiergarten (from Release the Stars)

Thelonious Monk is one of the great national treasures, I think.  I grab every record I see and enjoy them all.  Tough to pick ten, but here goes my Thelonious Monk Playlist:

1. Locomotive (from Straight, No Chaser)
2. Pannonica (from Brilliant Corners)
3. Crepuscule with Nellie (several versions–all good)
4. Bye-Ya (Jerry Gonzalez version on Rumba Para Monk)
5. Hackensack (from Criss Cross)
6. Work (guitar version by Peter Frampton, of all people, on the Hal Willner-produced Monk tribute album That’s the Way I Feel Now)
7. Well, You Needn’t (several versions–all good)
8. Nutty (from Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane)
9. Monk’s Dream (from Thelonious Monk Trio)
10. Ruby, My Dear (from Solo Monk)

And there are some great covers Monk recorded: Just a Gigolo (Thelonious Monk Trio), and Everything Happens to Me (Alone in San Francisco) are two nice songs transformed into haunting ballads.  The whole Monk Plays Duke Ellington album is great, too.

---