Jazz for aficionados

Fantastic Monk!  What an individual!  For me, his style always sounds eccentric.  Jagged and angular rhythmic feel; not your typical swing.  The poster of the second comment for the second clip put it very well, I think:

”...not pretty, but beautiful; not smooth, but stylish”

Very stylish.  Uniquely so.  I can definitely understand why his playing might not appeal to some.  It took me a while to get Monk many years ago.  Absolute genius.  As far as his sidemen went,  Charlie Rouse GOT Monk.  Johnny Griffin is one of my very favorite tenor players.  In absolute terms he was an infinitely more proficient player than Rouse; and with amazing energy.  In many settings he was as good as it got.  Yet, for me, with Monk his style just didn’t work nearly as well as did Rouse’s.  Well, it works, but somehow the end result sounds less “Monk”:

https://youtu.be/HtT9fTQ5YwA

https://youtu.be/4dyVE6MwjcE

Is it possible to dance while being hunched over?:

https://youtu.be/xxV8RwIUC-g

https://youtu.be/3QwiTYBzU68

Phil Woods/Michel Legrand - Images - The 2nd side of this album (feat. the jazz suite heard here) 
https://youtu.be/Hjldo10HiRo

...and the Long Yellow Road by the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabakin Big Band both formed mushroom clouds in my young mind when I 1st heard them!
https://youtu.be/3II64EHzMqg

Still do!!!;)

alexThanks for your Harold land postings I have all those albums except the carmel Jones which is going to change. I know you're posted him before I like his playing although he's not well known.
Regarding the A Cohen concert it sounds like you have mixed feelings. Were you not that familiar with his music and were  expecting something different?Modern jazz players not all but many do not write songs in the same way as previous jazz artists of an earlier generation. Many artists today don't use the blues form , either Not Having learned it or not wanting to use it as a vehicle for musical expression. Many modern artists also do not write Tunes with a lot of chord changes that set up melodies that are memorable .  today's players tend to use less chords and keep the melody simple so that when they improvise they have a free range to go in whatever Direction they want to. Also some groups do not follow the format of playing a Melody at the beginning of the song and then having each player do an improvisation for certain number of choruses. 
Sometimes the players are  improvising together either two or three at a time. 
I did listen to 3 songs so far of Cohen's album continuo which pjw posted. I find what I just said pertains to this album which I do find very engaging. But I don't think the Melodies are memorable but the band does play very tight and has excellent musicianship.I find that music outside of  a certain comfort zone can be difficult to comprehend but if given the chance one may find an appreciation in the different language Expressed.It is all about the journey if you find something new and different that you like that's great if not maybe the next time. Happy listening!!

frogman
Your post of Round Midnight. By Bill Evans reminded me of an album I've been listening to lately by his great bassist Eddie Gomez entitled Palermo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy59GYLbGV8 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYrvwe4nVcg

frogmanMonks Jagged and angular Rhythm as you referred to it is what set his music apart from anyone else's and is instantly recognizable. And as you say Charlie Rouse got it due to the fact that he stuck keenly to this rhythmic pattern. Whereas  Johnny Griffin just did his own thing rhythmically altering the unique   Style of Monk's Tunes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjfoeS8PKEK