Joy Bop is Here!

joybopCDCover300




We are so excited! At last…and finally…”Joy Bop”, the Magruder Monktet’s brand new CD…is here!!!
This album was recorded “live” at Studio Magruder last Summer and represents the pride, love, imagination and daring of everyone involved.
Under the leadership of Joy Magruder, the Monktet is a straight-ahead little big band (nonet) which plays the music of Thelonious Monk as well as John Magruder’s original pieces arranged in the Monk Mode.

About the Playlist

  1. Magruder composed and arranged the rollicking title tune, “Joy Bop” for his wife. It features solos by each of the nine players.
Joy Bop

2. One of John’s all time favorite Monk tunes, “Ruby My Dear”, was his first arrangement especially for the Monktet. It features heartbreaking solos by Bill Fulton (piano) and Roy Wiegand III (trpt.)

Ruby My Dear

3. In order to expand the Monktet Book, Joy asked Bill Fulton to arrange “Who Said That” from the 18 piece Magruder Big Band original. This piece has become known as “the strip number” for reasons that will become immediately apparent.

Who Said That

4. The story of “Wallflower” begins with the title. It was arranged from John’s Big Band chart by Phil Moore who re-created this tale of lament and hope in the style of a great storyteller.

Wallflower

5. The title of the delightful “Trite Me Twinks” came from John’s vivid imagination and remains a mystery to the rest of us, including Joy. It is written in a swingin’ 5/4 time which usually ruffles a few feathers.

Trite Me Twinks

6. Phil Moore re-imagined Monk’s “Misterioso” as a creative musical flight…using themes of darkness, complexity and some of the most outrageous of Thelonious’ ideas.{mp3}Misterioso{/mp3}

Misterioso

7. The Magruder composition, “Bottom Step” is a fast tour de force which keeps both players and listeners on their toes.

Bottom Step

8. “’Round Midnight”, probably Monk’s best known tune, was arranged by John and features the incredible Phil Moore on Baritone Sax and Bass Clarinet. As the story goes…during an especially dramatic performance of his solo…Phil was so totally involved…that he almost passed out!

Round Midnight

9. “Blue Joy” is not the real title…but it has always been what we used in public. Big Announcement: the real title is… “Blue Job”! According to John, this composition defines what true BeBop is all about.{mp3}Blue Job{/mp3}

Blue Job

10. The Monk tune, “Rhythm-A-Ning” contains the only vocal in the book. It wasn’t in John’s original arrangement but the players decided to sing, instead of play, the background parts to the solos…during one rehearsal…and it stuck! Try to sing along.

Rhythm-a-ning

11. “Night Song” is a beautiful ballad. This love song was composed by John with Kevin Hiatt and arranged by Bill Fulton for the Monktet. It will tug at your heart strings.

Night Song

We hope that you will enjoy our music as much as we enjoyed making it.

To purchase the album through CDbaby.com click here.

Jazz Charts

 

1

Bottom Step

JM

26

Zim

JM/PM

2

Walkaway

JM

27

Night Song

JM-KH/BF

3

Fanciful Farley

JM

28

Wallflower

JM/PM

4

52nd St. Theme

TM/JM

29

Off Minor

TM/JM

5

Well, You Needn’t

TM/JM

30

Trite Me Twinks

JM/PM

6

Blue Monk

TM/JM

31

Pure Imagination

PM

7

Ruby, My Dear

TM/JM

32

Christmas Waltz

PM

8

Epistrophy

TM/JM

33

Misterioso

TM/PM

9

I Mean You

TM/JM

34

Bye-ya

TM/PM

10

Rhythm-A-Ning

TM/JM

35

Children’s Song

PM

11

In Walked Bud

TM/JM

36

Pannonica

TM/PM

12

Straight, No Chaser

TM/JM

37

Moonchild

JM/PM

13

Brake’s Sake

TM/JM

38

Pastiche

JM/PM

14

Bemsha Swing

TM/JM

39

Evidence

TM/PM

15

Hackensack

TM/JM

40

Balderdash!

JM/PM

16

‘Round Midnight

TM/JM

41

Ugly Beauty

TM/PM

17

Ask Me Now

TM/JM

42

Who Said That?

JM/BF

18

Something Else

JM

43

Teo

TM/PM

19

Let’s Cool One

TM/JM

44

Still-Still-Still

TM/PM

20

Little Rootie Tootie

TM/JM

45

Joyous

JM/PM

21

Nutty

TM/JM

46

About 12:00 AM

TM/BF

22

Sambah!

JM

47

Catalina Eddie…

JM/PM

23

Blue Joy (Blue Job)

JM

48

Blue Monk

TM/GS

24

Monk’s Dream

TM/JM

49

Four in One

TM/PM

25

Joy Bop

JM

Legend:

TM = Thelonious Monk

JM = John Magruder

PM = Phil Moore

BF = Bill Fulton

GS = Geoff Stradling

KH = Kevin Hiatt