EPISTROPHY - alec harper, joe webb, james maddren, will sach

recorded live at the 606 Club in London, January 2025 alec harper - sax joe webb - piano james maddren - drums will sach - double bass "Epistrophy" (initially called "Fly Rite" or "Iambic pentameter") was co-written with Kenny Clarke, and was copyrighted on June 2, 1941, and was the first tune copyrighted by Monk. The main melodic theme was composed by Clarke, after experimenting with fingerings on the ukulele, and the chords were written by Monk. The word "epistrophe" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "the repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect". The tune appears on almost every single live album by Monk, as it was the closing tune of each set from Monk's days at Minton's Playhouse onwards. The first recording was by Cootie Williams on April 1, 1942, and it was later recorded by Clarke's band on September 5, 1946. It was not recorded by Monk before July 2, 1948, for the Wizard of the Vibes sessions, featuring Milt Jackson. It was later recorded for Monk's Music and was an outtake from the It's Monk's Time sessions.