Roelofs, Janssen & Bennink: Rite of Spring

ICP (RELEASED MAY 8, 2025)

Many musicians play Thelonius Monk compositions, but there are only a handful that have the chutzpah to play around with Monk compositions and get away with it! Bass clarinetist Joris Roelofs, pianist Guus Janssen and drummer Han Bennink do just that on Rite of Spring. A case in point is their version of Monk’s “Epistrophy” which opens with Janssen quoting the familiar strains of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” (hence the name for this release). The deep tones of Roelofs’ bass clarinet and the quirky rhythms of Bennink join Janssen who eventually lands on that tune’s familiar melody. From that point on, the trio is off and running, exploring the harmonic and melodic charm of this Monk classic. “Rite of Spring” is also used to open Monk’s “Jackie-ing.” The group plays around with two other Monk tunes on Rite of Spring : “Evidence,” with an edgy stride solo from Janssen; and “Four In One,” with Roelofs and Janssen playing the twists and turns of the melody in unison. Even the non-Monk tunes — Janssen’s “Telgang” and “Scharrel” sound Monkish. Another link to Monk is the trio’s version of Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” a tune Monk recorded on his 1955 Riverside date. This is the perfect vehicle for Bennink’s shifting rhythms and the hypnotic tones of the bass clarinet. Other tunes included on this live performance recorded at De Roode Bioscoop in Amsterdam on March 16, 2025 include Roelofs’ classical sounding “Prelude,” an “in and out” Latin-infused version of Charles Trenet’s “Le Mer” and a soothing relaxed version of Richard Rodgers’ “Spring is Here.” Roelofs, Janssen and Bennink have distilled the edginess, humor and reverence of the ICP Orchestra into this surprisingly versatile and adventuresome trio.

BOTTOM LINE: The cover design of Rite of Spring captures the music— it’s playful, full of twists and turns and moves in various directions. What else would you expect from drummer Han Bennink (who designed the cover), pianist Guus Janssen and bass clarinetist Joris Roelofs?