PAPATAMUS REDUX

RMF RECORDS (RELEASED APRIL 10, 2026)

For the past seveal years, drummer Charles Ruggiero and his various aggregations have been playing monthly tributes to the music of Thelonious Monk at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California. Thanks to RMF Records we can sit in on an October 2025 session that featured Ruggiero with saxophonist Bob Reynolds and bassist Mike Gurrola. Guided by the spirit of Monk, this pianoless trio takes on the angular melodies, offbeat harmonic voicings and quirky structures of five Monk classics. According to the liner notes, Ruggiero has always loved playing Monk’s music because his tunes present an endless stream of ideas with little alcoves and alleys to explore. Members of the trio bring their own approach to navigating those tight and often intricate passageways on Plays Monk Live! For example, Ruggiero opens “Monk’s Mood” and “Green Chimneys” with the familiar rhythmic patterns that shape those tunes. On other compositions, Ruggiero’s percussive hits mirror the idiosyncratic energy Monk would add to performances. Reynolds weaves solos from various melodic and harmonic fragments in the style of Sonny Rollins on tunes such as “Misterioso” and “Let’s Cool One.” Reynolds’ long unaccompanied opening to “Evidence” hints at the tune which is finally unveiled once Ruggerio and Gurrola enter. That brings us to  Gurrola, whose solos and timekeeping manages to balance between steady and off-center in the tradition of Larry Gales, Butch Warren, Ahmed Abdul-Malik and other bass players who understood the intricacies of playing with Monk. Ruggiero joins a long list of musicians such as saxophonists Steve Lacy and Bennie Wallace, drummer Paul Motian, guitarists Miles Okazaki, Steve Kahn and Bobby Broom, and most recently bassist/saxophonist Dayna Stephens who have recorded Monk tributes in pianoless settings. From the reaction of the crowd at The Baked Potato, Ruggiero, Reynolds and Gurrola were not only up for the challenge, but they also met it by adding another chapter to Monk’s angular melodies, offbeat harmonies and quirky strictures — the elements that make his music timeless. Plays Monk Live! is highly recommend for fans of Monk ‘s music.  

BOTTOM LINE: Although drummer Charles Ruggiero has eight albums under his own name. this is the first time he has recorded a set of tunes by Thelonious Monk. It is also the first time he has recorded without a piano player! It is welcome addition his discography as well the growing number of musicians who are keeping the spirit of Monk alive.