Blue Monk

1. Hackensack

2. Light Blue

3. Evidence

4. Blue Monk

5. Jackie-Ing

6. Ruby, My Dear

Blue Monk,Thelonious Monk,Eclipse Music Group,Bop,Jazz,Pop,Post-Bop

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

Monk's Mood
Evidence
Crepescule With Nellie
Nutty
Epistrophy (Live)
Bye-Ya
Sweet And Lovely
Blue Monk
Epistrophy

Amazon.com

Every year sees a crop of newly found jazz gems, but rarely are listeners treated to anything as special as this 1957 concert recording of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, which was accidentally discovered in an unmarked box by a Library of Congress engineer early in 2005. Until now, fans could only dream of hearing these two immortals play together beyond the three studio tracks they left behind. But here they are, hitting their stride at an all-star benefit concert, basking in the chemistry they had developed in Monk's quartet during the preceding weeks at New York's Five Spot. Coltrane's playing is a revelation. He's both an inspired accompanist and a galvanizing soloist, taking the music to new heights with his bold, brilliantly challenging, and sometimes jaw-dropping phrases, note clusters, and blasts of power. Sharing with Coltrane a newfound sense of freedom following the personal and professional troubles that had plagued them both, Monk is clearly tickled to be in the tenorist's presence, injecting humorous commentaries and otherwise asserting his eccentric genius as a pianist. The material, which was very well recorded by the Voice of America, includes Monk classics like "Epistrophy," "Monk's Moods," and "Evidence," as well as a striking rendition of the standard "Sweet and Lovely." This is music that not only bears repeated listenings, but also demands them--the ultimate definition of a classic. --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

essential to your jazz collection, period.......2007-05-30

I can't believe this sat in a box and the library of congress all this time! It makes me wonder what other gems they got in deep freeze. Thank Jeezy they found it. I love listening to this when I drive around town with the windows down on a summer night. Good, good, good. Hear it, love it, get it.

Thelonious Monk Quarted with John colgrane at Carnegie Hall.......2007-05-29

This recording, unearthed after nearly fifty years on old tapes found at the Library of Congress, is a national treasure that speaks to all of us, after two generations. Surely this marks the work as art in its most universal sense: something with permanence, that will (I hope) last through the ages. I understand from a little research that Billy Holiday participated in this same concert, and regret that that recording has been lost! But this one, in my opinion, gets five stars.

Very Nice.......2007-05-25

I've got a small but impressive jazz library, jazz has been a recent addition to my musical tastes. I'm not the biggest Coltrane fan, I prefer Cannonball Adderly and some others less inclined to go wailing away. I do not like Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Monk and Coltrane team up here with a very enjoyable performance. Excellent for background music or dedicated listening. The fidelity is superb, very high quality. Only negative is it's mono. Jazz fans will love this.

Pure.......2007-05-20

It's funny what people find when they clean out closets. The people at Carngie Hall found a jewel and something unique and pure. A great addition to any jazz aficionado's collection. In reality a must have if you like jazz at all.

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall.......2007-05-17

I purchased the disc, being asked by my brother.
He is exceited and overjoyed to have gotten the disc.

Average customer rating:

Review of Thelonious Monk's The Best of the Blue Note Years
30 Years old and the start of greatness
Still my favourite
Superb
Compelling as a listening experience: also, vital history

The Best of the Blue Note Years
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005HGN
Release Date: 1991-03-26

Tracks:

Thelonious
Ruby My Dear
Well You Needn't
April In Paris
Monk's Mood
In Walked Bud
'Round Midnight
Evidence
Misterioso
Epsitrophy
I Mean You
Four In One
Criss Cross
Straight No Chaser
Ask Me Now
Skippy

Amazon.com essential recording

Blue Note was the first company to give Thelonious Monk the opportunity to record as a leader, and he brought many of his great compositions to these 1947-52 sessions for their first recordings, with groups that included gifted and sympathetic players like drummer Art Blakey and vibraphonist Milt Jackson. This CD's 15 selections contain classic early renditions of the great ballads like "Ruby My Dear" and "'Round Midnight," as well as then-exotic pieces like "Epistrophy" and "Straight, No Chaser" that have since become standard jazz repertoire. Originally released as 78 rpm records, these compressed renditions highlight Monk's innovative structures. This is a distillation of the four-CD Complete Blue Note Recordings, which generously covers this entire, fertile early period. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews:

Review of Thelonious Monk's The Best of the Blue Note Years.......2006-03-22

Thelonious Monk is regarded as one of the most innovative jazz pianists/composers of his time, and this CD - original versions of his most popular pieces - demonstrates why. Unless you are a jazz connoisseur (and I am not), this music will probably strike you as weird at first, but it's worth listening to until you get it. In most of these pieces, Monk is accompanied by both bass and drums, or by bass, drums, saxophone, and trumpet. He sometimes played fast, sometimes sparingly, and sometimes beautiful, but it always seems right. A Washington Post music critic considers this one of the best jazz albums of all time.

30 Years old and the start of greatness.......2005-11-01

Collecting tracks from his earlier blue note albums(genius of modern music volumes 1 and 2)of brilliance is hard to do because each cut is great...now, these 2 remastered cd's really shine with the original artwork and alternate takes...But,this CD is a sampler and the way to go as all reviewers insist..the complexity is all here as Monk strays in his world but it is all very centered,the eccentricity is structured within beautiful music.
The seeds were planted here.

Still my favourite.......2005-07-30

I was about 17 I guess when I lent this CD from the local library. I'd never heard of Monk, I just thought the guy on the photo looked cool and what a name: Thelonious Sphere Monk! It was a whole world opening up to me. I immediately wanted to buy this Cd but it was not available at the time, so I bought Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 & 2 instead (but the flow on these 2 CDs with all their alternate takes is not the quite the same as on this one). Since then, i've become a real Monk aficionado but as an introduction to his music, this is still the best there is. Each and every tune is marvellous .... you'll listen to it again and again.

Superb.......2004-02-25

Thelonius Monk is a rare artist, an artist's artist, and this album documents thoroughly the talents displayed by Monk in his early years of recording (late 1940's and early 1950's). A jazz pianist prodigy, schooled and influenced by stride, Monk instantly gravitated to the experimentalist Jazz scene known at that time as Bop. A man of many eccentricities, the most important of which was that Monk tickled the ivories like no other. When you think you've heard it all, again and again, Monk is one of the few that really stands apart.

What more can be said that has not been said by the other reviewers. Perhaps this album is not the ideal for the casual Jazz fan, wanting a taste of Monk from time to time. But its hard to imagine a Jazz piano enthusiast that won't be desiring more and more of his works with the passing of time. Purchase this album and you'll hear Bop in it's infancy. You'll hear Jazz legends such as Art Blakey, Lou Donaldson, Max Roach and Milt Jackson.

This is my personal favorite of all the Monk albums of the dozen or so in my collection despite it having the poorest recording quality. Most of the pieces on this album were re-worked/recorded and inlcuded on later albums with playing time doubled or better. Yet the shorter, original versions seem to capture the essence of each work with no musical verbosity or drowning of that rythym/melody that makes them each so special.

Despite the poor quality of sound, I couldn't find it in my power to rate this album any less than five. The rythyms are just too catchy and unique to give it any less. For someone wanting a video glimpse of the person, Thelonius Monk, check out the authentic shoot "Straight, No Chaser".

Compelling as a listening experience: also, vital history.......2002-07-31

These are the earliest Monk recordings to be issued on CD, apparently. All but one of the 16 short pieces is a Monk original, heard here in its first recorded form. Since Monk reused his compositions time and again, with all kinds of fellow players and at widely varying lengths over more than 20 years, the real Monk fan will find this a must-own, and will compare the later versions to these performances. The songs on this disc might seem sketchy and tentative to some listeners, while others may prefer them to renditions which later doubled the length of many items. There are some sidemen present who later became quite famous, such as Art Blakey on drums and Milt Jackson on vibes, but these late-40's releases are worth having because of the odd, interesting compositions and Monk's own evident talent. If you are a casual jazz fan who wants some Thelonious in the home collection, but who cares not for the historic value of the first records by a genius, try "Thelonious Monk/Sonny Rollins" or "Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane" first. Those are even better than this for pure listening pleasure. If you can afford this one as your third Monk disc, you won't be sorry.

Average customer rating:

I Mean You!
Too bad it wasn't engineered
Uninhibited Monk/Coltrane brilliance
A fun little journey, and it doesn't sound too bad
Sound Quality

Live at the Five Spot
Thelonious Monk Quartet , and John Coltrane
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002V2C
Release Date: 1993-03-23

Tracks:

Trinkle Tinkle
In Walked Bud
I Mean You
Epistrophy
Crepuscule

Amazon.com

Discovery! At the Five Spot documents emerging tenor giant John Coltrane's brief, but eventful six month residency with pianist-composer Thelonious Monk at New York's Five Spot. Monk was reestablishing his stature and drawing power as a jazz innovator while Coltrane grew by leaps and bounds studying Monk's repertoire and learning to navigate his compositions not just rhythmically and harmonically but thematically as well. Monk's melodies were too strong simply to run the changes, and on his extended jaunt Monk's tricky, intricate obstacle course "Trinkle, Tinkle," Coltrane attacks the harmonies with such compulsive power and blissful abandon, that you can hear whole new vistas of sound revealed to the tenor saxophonist. Recorded on a dinky tape machine by Coltrane's wife Naima, the sound is vague, hissy, and distorted--yet vivid and inspiring because on none of the few studio recordings documenting this period do Trane and Monk play with such unrestrained intensity. The mere existence of these tapes far transcends the shaky nature of their "production values." --Chip Stern

Customer Reviews:

I Mean You!.......2006-06-22

Get this disc for only one thing - Coltrane's insane, hyper-extended solo on "I Mean You!!" And that version of "In Walked Bud" is pretty damn good too!

Too bad it wasn't engineered.......2006-03-20

Great gig for Monk and Trane but quality of recording is very poor since it was mastered with a home tape recorded

Uninhibited Monk/Coltrane brilliance.......2002-10-22

Forget the poor quality recording, just listen to the music. This live concert shows Monk and Coltrane totall uninhibited, free to impose their visions onto the canvas of the music. Coltrane's solos are amazing, especially on 'I mean you'. There's also, among other things, a short and snappy version of 'Epistrophy.'

A fun little journey, and it doesn't sound too bad.......2002-04-11

I see that a lot of folks have been criticizing the sound quality here. When I found this at my public library I hesitated. We've all heard BAD recordings that were put out only to line someone's pockets. In this case, even if the sound quality were terrible, I would still argue for its release. For Coltrane fans especially, this is a rare chance to hear him in one of his least recorded periods. The music is fun and the sound quality is much BETTER than I was expecting. For me, it falls somewhere in between the static of very early 1920's recordings (Louis Armstrong comes to mind) and the house chatter of the classic Bill Evans disc "Sunday at the Village Vanguard." There is crowd noise, but not TOO much, the music is fairly well balanced as far as one microphone recordings go. Monk's piano occasionally comes close to drowning out Coltrane. Considering the circumstances under which it was recorded, I was pleasantly surprised by how listenable this disc is. Keep in mind, if you have not had a lot of experience listening to low-quality recordings or bootlegs, then you may wish to hear this before purchasing it.

Sound Quality.......2000-09-21

This is a sound album, quality quartet arrangements.

Excellent small band versions of "Epistrophy," "Trinkle, Tinkle," and "In Walked Bud." "Epistrophy" is radically different from other versions I have heard.

So what if the sound quality is that of a dirty bar room hurrah. That's what this is!! Not all great jazz can be Columbia quality reissues. I think the mumblings and minor defects in the master tape add to the ambience of the scene. Sort of time and spacey. Wine glasses, clanging...

Tracks:

Humph
Evonce (Alt Tk)
Evonce
Suburban Eyes
Suburban Eyes (Alt Tk)
Thelonious
Nice Work If You Can Get It (Alt Tk)
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Ruby My Dear (Alt Tk)
Ruby My Dear
Well You Needn't
Well You Needn't (Alt Tk)
April In Paris (Alt Tk)
April In Paris
Off Minor
Introspection
In Walked Bud
Monk's Mood
Who Knows
'Round Midnight
Who Knows (Alt Tk)

Tracks:

All The Things You Are
I Should Care (Alt Tk)
I Should Care
Evidence
Misterioso
Misterioso (Alt Tk)
Epistrophy
I Mean You
Four In One
Four In One (Alt Tk)
Criss Cross
Criss Crosss (Alt Tk)
Eronel
Straight No Chaser
Ask Me Now (Alt Tk)
Ask Me Now
Willow Weep For Me

Tracks:

Skippy
Skippy (Alt Tk)
Hornin' In (Alt Tk)
Hornin' In
Sixteen (First Tk)
Sixteen (Second Tk)
Carolina Moon
Let's Cool One
I'll Follow You
Reflections
Misterioso

Tracks:

Crepuscule With Nellie
Trinkle Tinkle
In Walked Bud
I Mean You
Epistrophy

Amazon.com

From the 1947 sessions that lead off this set through to the 1958 live recordings at the Five Spot with John Coltrane, this box set chronicles the development of one of the most unique and creative American musicians. The first CD dates entirely from 1947, and on it we hear a Monk conversant in the bebop idiom, his distinct style emerging. By 1951 on the second CD we have a gorgeous version of "Ask Me Now," with all the delightful rhythmic hesitation that became one of his trademarks. "Reflections" on the third CD has Sonny Rollins caressing the melody in an almost languid tempo, followed by a classic version of "Misterioso," with J.J. Johnson and Horace Silver sharing the piano role. The Monk-Coltrane live cuts on the fourth CD are incandescent. All in all, a set that is both enlightening (with a number of alternate takes) in its scope and delightful in its sheer musicianship and creative spark. --Michael Monhart

Customer Reviews:

INCREDIBLE.......2004-03-13

This is THE box set to have! Monk shines here its some of his BEST stuff to date! The set here sounds PRETTY GOOD! This is a GREAT bang for your bucks! This is a GREAT set for those just getting into Monk or for fans of Monk that need every record out there, the box is nice as it is just a holder for the 4 separate disc in their own jewel cases. The booklet is also informative on the recordings included in this box, Im a HUGE Coltrane fan also and his sax is all over the last disc. A MUST own for any fan of good jazz!

It may be early Monk, but this is good stuff!.......2002-06-06

It's bebop, but it's Monk. He runs his fingers down the keyboard alot, & yet it gasses me every time. Milt Jackson is featured prominently. It may be early Bags, but...

Not just important, but great music.......2000-05-25

If you care about jazz at all, then you know Monk is one of the greats, the necessary ones, a great American artist. And this is Monk's most important period, when he confounded the world with his sound and vision. His later period on Riverside produced a lot of great playing, but this set documents the revolution, and you must have it.

The music, the tunes speak for themselves, but what is so important here is the freshness. You are hearing the musicians grapple with Monk's work for the first time, some take naturally to it, others don't, but the tension is an important part of the experience. And you are also hearing his work as all listeners did for the first time, right off his first Blue Note LPs.

Yes, the sound quality on the live set with Coltrane is poor, but a complaint about that is meaningless. The gig was recorded on a cheap tape deck with no professional quality or intent, and the set is what it is, a find, never intended as a record. But the music comes through all the same, better to be with it than without it.

This is an important set,.......2000-01-11

but the Riversides are more important and in far better sound. Unless you are a completist (as I am), I would say get "Genious of Modern Music, II" only. It contains the best dates from this set. Then spend the rest of the money that you saved on "Brilliant Corners", "Monk's Music", and "Himself" on Riverside. With that, you will have a great collection of classic Monk.

Yeah, but the backup musicians are awesome!.......1999-09-11

One other reviwer is correct in writing off the five-spot disc; it does sound awful. But the rest of the set is great and young Sonny Rollins and others sound great.

Average customer rating:

early and amazing
A beginning.
Piece of art
A must-have for Monk fans!
Early Monk

Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2
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ASIN: B00005MIZ4
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Humph
Evonce
Suburban Eyes
Thelonious
Evonce
Suburban Eyes
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Ruby My Dear
Well You Needn't
April In Paris
Off Minor
Introspection
Nice Work If You Can Get It (Alternate Take)
Ruby My Dear (Alternate Take)
Well You Needn't (Alternate Take)
April In Paris (Alternate Take)
In Walked Bud
Monk's Mood
Who Knows?
'Round Midnight
Who Knows? (Alternate Take)

Amazon.com

These late-'40s recordings are culled from Thelonious Monk's first recording sessions as a leader. The components of the pianist-composer's singular style were firmly in place: the cubist pianism, spiky melodicism, edgy wit, and profound sense of time, accent, and sonority. In the main, trio numbers like the haunting "Ruby My Dear" or the quirky recasting of Gershwin's "Nice Work If You Can Get It" come off best. The cuts with horns, on the other hand, seem artfully cluttered and unsettled in comparison to the cohesion and purposefulness of Monk's magnificent Riverside recordings from the '50s--all of them collected on the magisterial 15-CD Complete Riverside Recordings box set. Still and all, Monk's Blue Notes sound better than ever in these remasterings from the best source material extant. --Jed Distler

Album Details

Japanese Release featuring 24 Bit Remastering and LP Style Slipcase for Initial Pressing Only.

Customer Reviews:

early and amazing.......2006-01-07

The blue note recordings are essential monk and amazingly creative. Not overrated or romanticized for being the beginning of a long and innovative career. All of the blue note studio recordings (except for maybe one or two alternate takes) can be found on the two volumes of genius of modern music AND Milt Jackson's "Wizard of the Vibes," on blue note also.

A beginning........2005-10-03

I think sometimes first recordings by important artists get more merit than they deserve-- it's a legend after all, this is their formative material, their early works, etc. And in some respect, there's merit to that, but when you have a pioneering artist like Thelonious Monk, you end up with a large disconnect between the other musicians and the leader. Such is the case on much of "Genius of Modern Music, Volume One". Singles recorded in three sessions during October and November of 1947, these are the first recordings by Thelonious Monk as a leader.

The first session featured Monk with a rhythm section of Gene Ramey (on bass) and Art Blakey (on drums) with three horns-- Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Danny Quebec West on alto sax, and Billy Smith on tenor sax. Four titles were tackled, only two composed by Monk (two were by Ike Quebec, who helped get Monk signed to Blue Note). The horn players, all largely best known for this session, are fairly clueless and turn out earnest but by and large unexciting performances and force Monk into a rather standard comping role. Comparing his playing to his work behind the horn players in the third session on here, the difference is astounding. But by and large, none of these pieces save "Thelonious", go to any strides to really show Monk off as a songwriter or a musician.

The second session finds Monk in a trio setting with Ramey and Blakey. Here, the real value of these recordings begin as many of the things that make Monk what he is come forth, whether he is tackling standards ("Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "April in Paris" both get readings) or originals (such critical pieces as "Ruby My Dear" and "Well You Needn't"), the work is stunning and the performance is breathtaking.

The last session on here sits somewhere in between these two-- Monk is accompanied by trumpeter George Taitt and alto saxophonist Sahib Shibab along with bassist Bob Paige and Blakey. The results are typically pretty good, with the horns performing spectacularly on the ballads of the session ("Monk's Mood" and the legendary "'Round Midnight") and really digging in on an explosive version of "In Walked Bud". It's really quite unfortunate that these were all recorded for singles because several of the solos just start developing when they have to end (due to limitations in the physical media used for the original release).

This reissue, part of the Rudy Van Gelder edition of remasters on Blue Note, features the best sound these sessions have ever received. Monk would make better recordings as time went on, but these are still quite good. Recommended.

Piece of art.......2004-05-17

Been a Monk fan for a long time, I have considered this album a "must have" for every jazz fan around the world. Monk pianism is brilliant and ideas are flowing all through the recording. Monk is to jazz what Velazquez is to painting!!!!

A must-have for Monk fans!.......2003-08-11

Name a tune that swings harder than this original version of "Thelonious"? All the cuts stand up to repeated listening (heck I've been listening to them repeatedly since the fifties!) but "Thelonious" is simply perfect Monk: the tune, his solo, the true-to-Monk horn arrangement that he himself wrote out. Blakey intersperses great old school snare accents and bass drum kicks in all the right places. But don't take my word for it: the excerpt you can sample tells all.

Early Monk.......2001-11-08

These 1947 recordings are among the earliest documents we have of piano genius and jazz pioneer Thelonious Sphere Monk. It's hard to believe that he was finally hailed with acclaim in 1957 for ideas he'd had 10 years earlier! When listening to these tracks, you should keep a couple of things in mind. First, recording technology wasn't too hot in 1947, and you can't expect the pristine, Rudy Van Gelder sound quality of 50s jazz. (Though compared to the 89 reissue, this Van Gelder edition sounds phenomenal.) Second, some of Monk's sidemen on this album didn't understand the new bop style very well, and were even more clueless on Monk's advanced ideas. (Even Art Blakey, one of Monk's best accompanists in the 50s, sounds a little confused here.) But these complaints aside, there's really phenomenal music here; tracks 7-16 (a trio with Blakey and bassist Gene Ramey) are especially marvelous, with classic recordings of Monk staples "Off Minor", "Ruby My Dear", "Well You Needn't" and "Introspection" as well as typically quirky takes on two standards ("April in Paris" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It"). The rest of the tracks are not quite up to the same standard due to the sidemen (Sahib Shihab provides the oddest alto saxophone sound ever on "Monk's Mood") but are still exciting. This set of 21 songs isn't quite as strong as Genius of Modern Music Volume 2, yet definitely essential for the Monk enthusiast.

Average customer rating:

GREAT BUY!

Crossing the Line

Manufacturer: Summit(Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Duets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0002T2PZC
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

Il Convegno, Divertimento For Two Clarinets And String Quintet
Noodle 1: Jumping In
Original Duos: Allegro
Original Duos: Andante Grazioso
Original Duos: Variazioni
Original Duos: Rondo
Noodle 2 'Freedom'
The Leblanc Suite: With Humor
The Leblanc Suite: Ballad
The Leblanc Suite: Ragtime
Noodle 3 'Loosey Goosey'
Sonata: For Two Flutes: MVT. II -Cantabile
Jazz Fantasy: For Two Clarinets: Slow
Jazz Fantasy: For Two Clarinets: Moderate
Jazz Fantasy: For Two Clarinets: Slow
Jazz Fantasy: For Two Clarinets: Fast
Jazz Fantasy: For Two Clarinets: Slow
Noodle 4: 'Blue Noodle'
Hallucinations
We Will Meet Again
Blue Monk
Andre De Sapato Novo

Album Description

Crossing The Line is a labor of love. It's about two guys having fun, adding totally free improvistions between several selections. Larry Combs and Eddie Daniels are legendary masters of their craft. Combs, aside from being one of the best orchestral clarinetists in the world, is a fine jazz player. He played with Chuck Mangione before joining the Chicago Symphony.

From "Ponchielli," (featuring the Chicago String Quintet) and the Pleyel duets to Gordon Goodwin's "Leblanc Suite" and William O. Smith's "Jazz Fantasy" this is a serious musical joyride!

Customer Reviews:

GREAT BUY!.......2005-06-24

I recently met Eddie Daniels and Larry Combs at the Oklahoma University Clarinet Symposium and WOW! They are both amazing characters at what they do. First off, Larry Combs is a classical clarinetist who has been Principle Clarinet in the Chicago Symphony since the early 70's. Eddie Daneils is a Jazz Clarinet player, but yet he still plays classical just as well as Larry Combs. Well, Larry and Eddie met eachother at a Clarinet Convention MANY years ago, and since then they have been great friends. These people are LEGENDARY! They will be in the clarinet recording archives probably until the day I die, which will be a looong time. This album is worth the the money, I suggest it for anyone who is a fan of EITHER or BOTH of these fabulous clarinetists. The Duos by Ignaz Pleytel are phenominol! They are beautiful! And whats even funnier is they play noodles, which is unedited made up on the spot music, which makes the whole experience even more interesting because they just follow each other with whatever they can come up with on the spot. Buy this album if you are a clarinetist, you won't regret it!

Average customer rating:

Does anyone else hear it?
THE RVG TO GET--You haven't heard this music till you hear THIS issue.
Not as exciting as Volume 1, but worth digging up.
2 Bands. 2 sets. Pure Monk.
Not to be Missed

Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005MIZ5
Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

Four In One
Criss Cross
Eronel
Straight No Chaser
Ask Me Now
Willow Weep For Me
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Criss Cross (Alternate Take)
Ask Me Now (Alternate Take)
Skippy
Hornin' In
Sixteen (Second Take)
Carolina Moon
Let's Cool One
I'll Follow You
Skippy (Alternate Take)
Hornin' In (Alternate Take)
Sixteen (First Take)

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If Genius Volume One in this series stands out for repertoire, volume 2 shines for the better ensemble performances. The challenges of "Four in One" and "Criss-Cross," for instance, inspire vibraphonist Milt Jackson to slithery heights, and Thelonious Monk's architectonic comping sparks altoist Sahib Shihab and trumpeter Kenny Dorham to exploratory heights. One of the first recorded jazz waltzes, "Carolina Moon," reveals Monk's penchant for reviving obscure standards on his own irreverent terms, while the unaccompanied "I'll Follow You" allows us to peak at the pianist-composer thinking out loud. No serious jazz collection should be without a sampling from Monk's Blue Note output, and this is as good a place to start as any. --Jed Distler.

Album Details

20 bit digitally remastered.

Customer Reviews:

Does anyone else hear it?.......2007-04-16

5 Stars for the great music but does anyone else hear the annoying "da duh duh da da" of someone, I assume Monk, humming or singing the notes in the background on most of the tracks? It's not too loud but loud enough for it to be really disconcerting to me. Seems like a real shame, to me at least - I'm taking of two stars for that. If you're a close listener perhaps steer clear of this release (perhaps the newer editions cut out more of this?).

THE RVG TO GET--You haven't heard this music till you hear THIS issue........2007-03-11

The reviews herein have covered the musicality of this essential Monk, the debut recordings of Monk works that would become classics. I would like to talk about the astonishingly improved audio over previous issues. All due respect to Rudy, few of his RVGs stand out to my ears as being decidedly better than previous issues, such as the Connoisseur series. They do sound quite good, but, hands down, the RVGs do not best the Japanese issues. Perhaps it's a matter of different remastering philosophies--perhaps it's simply a matter of Michael Cuscuna putting Rudy's name on these to sell them; just a hunch I have, especially if you were to listen to the alternate take of "Wee-Dot" on Art Blakey A NIGHT AT BIRDLAND. The ride cymbal "wash" during Clifford's solo makes your ears cringe and it ruins Clifford's tremendous solo--I could never believe the great Rudy Van Gelder did such lousy remastering, though I must add, Clifford's immortal "Once in a While" is much improved over previous issues.

I purchased PERFECT TAKES, the sampler of the RVG series. The very first cut is "Four in One" from this RVG CD, GENIUS OF MODERN MUSIC Volume 2. I was absolutely floored by the audio, and I immediately ordered Volumes 1 and 2--I couldn't even wait for the rest of the sampler to play out! Whoever remastered these got quite a lot of the WOR studio's lacquer masters' surface noise out, and the detail and resolution are phenomenal. Makes previous issues obsolete--terribly obsolete. There is no comparison.

I think reviewers, in their enthusiasm upon first hearing an album, sometimes hastily write their reviews based on those first impressions, instead of studying the music a little more and allowing the music to grow on them, as we know music does. You really need both volumes. Neither is better than or more/less interesting than the other; as you listen to these over time, you'll find it's just a matter of your moods. And let's not overlook the work of Lucky Thompson on Volume 2--he absolutely tears up Monk's difficult-to-play chord changes. I will tell you, this is essential Lucky--what a completely together artist he was.

By the way, another RVG to get is THE EMINENT J. J. JOHNSON Volume 1, with Clifford Brown, more WOR lacquer discs that were tremendously remastered. Also, I believe the two Miles Davis RVG volumes were WOR recordings as well; I plan to get those, too.

Not as exciting as Volume 1, but worth digging up........2005-10-03

After his debut recordings as a leader in 1947, it was quite a while until Thelonious Monk returned to the studio as a leader. His next two sessions for Blue Note, in the summer of 1951 and spring of 1952 are collected as "Genius of Modern Music, Volume 2". Although LP technology was available, Blue Note chose to keep Monk in the single format.

The first session, from the summer of '51 finds Monk with perhaps the first frontline that truly "got" his music in alto saxophonist Sahib Shihab and vibist Milt Jackson, with bassist Al McKibbon and drummer Art Blakey anchoring the session. With the exception of a reading of "Nice Work If You Can Get It" (which Monk curiously recorded for Blue Note in 1947 as well), all the pieces are Monk originals, and this level of focus benefits the band, whether it's the midtempo oddball "Criss Cross" (which works nicely with the odd frontline), ecstatic "Straight No Chaser" (which curiously flounders a bit on Shihab's solo), or piano feature "Ask Me Now", where Monk really shows just what he's capable of.

The second session produces far less interesting music, with Monk accompanied by trumpeter Kenny Dorham, reedmen Lou Donaldson (on alto) and Lucky Thompson (on tenor), bassist Nelson Boyd and drummer Max Roach. By and large, it feels as though the horns don't quite get into this as much they should and they seem to get in the way of each other. "Skippy" is fantastic, full of energy and explosiveness, mid-tempo number "Let's Cool One" works reasonably well, but some of the material ("Sixteen", standards "Carolina Moon" and "I'll Follow You") receive straight and largely uninteresting reading. This is most surprising on "I'll Follow You", which sheds the horns entirely and presents Monk in a trio setting.

As part of the Rudy Van Gelder edition of remasters, this album features fantastic sound, given the age of the recording, far superior to the previous issue.

There's enough good music on here to make this one worth digging up, but for interest in early Monk, start with Volume 1.

2 Bands. 2 sets. Pure Monk........2005-01-09

Tracks 1 - 9: Thelonious Monk - piano, Sahib Shihab - alto sax, Milt Jackson - vibes, Al McKibbon - bass, Art Blakey - drums. Recorded on 7/23/51.

Tracks 10 - 18: Thelonious Monk - piano, Kenny Dorham - trumpet, Lou Donaldson - alto sax, Lucky Thompson - tenor sax, Nelson Boyd - bass, Max Roach - drums. Recorded on 5/30/52.

This is one of the great documents of Thelonious Monk's unique (and totally engaging) style and vision. I almost considered giving this 4 stars for no other reason than I know that the Rouse band is probably more popular/familiar for most people, but I just couldn't. This is five stars all the way.

Actually, seeing a previous review (after writing mine) has made me slip this note in here and drop it down to 4. I don't have that '48 session! That IS a good question... if it can fit on here, why isn't it on here? Although, for what IS here, it's still a 5-star disc.

I wonder whether this review will be mainly read by longtime Monk fans, or by people who are new to him. For those of you who know his stuff... everything that is Monk... it's all here. This is a fantastic disc! For those of you who are new to him but have other jazz discs... you're in for a treat. No one elses music moves like Monk's moves. It's almost unfair to even lump him in as "jazz". He is a genre unto himself. Everything about him stands alone. Once you get acquainted with his music, his rhythms, melodies (of his tunes), and piano playing will be instantly recognizable to you because, like I said... his music has its own distinct sense of movement.

That off-kilter sense of bouncy, swinging thrust that Dolphy's music has... it's due in part to his fascination with our man right here, Monk.

I love this disc, and the fact that it's by 2 different bands is really nice. You get to hear that Monk Vision as filtered through the lenses of 2 distinct bands. As for which band I prefer, it just depends on my mood. Both bands have it! As for this disc, you should have it!

Not to be Missed.......2004-11-29

Monk on Blue Note with superb supporting musicians playing many of his best known compositions. Can't go wrong here. My favorite tracks are on the first half of the CD featuring Milt Jackson. Check out Willlow Weep For Me and you will be instantly hooked. Monk's music has a vibrancy that is really captured in these recordings and for either the uninitiated or hard core Monkophiles this is a must own CD. Of all the guys who came out of the Bebop scene Monk's music stands out as the music that remains as fresh and challenging as anything being done today. Do yourself a favor and check this out.

Average customer rating:

thelonious monk finest in jazz

Finest in Jazz
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tracks:

Well You Needn't
'Round Midnight
Straight No Chaser
In Walked Bud
Epistrophy
Reflections
Misterioso

Customer Reviews:

thelonious monk finest in jazz.......2007-07-03

this is early Monk. but Monk at his best.
the tracks are uncharacteristically short.
total time of the the 7 Monk compositions is only
31:36. his solos are relatively brief, incisive, cutting edge,
and full of surprises. more than along for the ride is the
great tenorman, Sonny Rollins, the coolest vibe player of the
Modern Jazz era, Milt Jackson, Art Blakey, etc.

Average customer rating:

early and amazing
A beginning.
Piece of art
A must-have for Monk fans!
Early Monk

Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1
Thelonious Monk
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2
Moanin'
The Sidewinder
Maiden Voyage
Somethin' Else

ASIN: B000005HBS
Release Date: 1989-07-12

Tracks:

Humph
Envoce (Alternate Take)
Envoce
Suburban Eyes
Suburban Eyes (Alternate Take)
Thelonious
Nice Work Of You Can Get It (Alternate Take)
Nice Work Of You Can Get It
Ruby My Dear (Alternate Take)
Ruby My Dear
Well You Needn't
Well You Needn't (Alternate Take)
April In Paris (Alternate Take)
April In Paris
Off minor
Introspection
In Walked Bud
Monk's Mood
Who Knows
'Round Midnight
Who Knows (Alternate Take)

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Album Details

Japanese Release featuring 24 Bit Remastering and LP Style Slipcase for Initial Pressing Only.

Customer Reviews:

early and amazing.......2006-01-07

A beginning........2005-10-03

Piece of art.......2004-05-17

A must-have for Monk fans!.......2003-08-11

Early Monk.......2001-11-08

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Average customer rating:

Great compilation
A disappointment

DRG 25th Anniversary Show Stopping Performances

Manufacturer: Drg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Barbara Cook at the Met with Special Guests
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110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast)
ABC (Adler, Bock, Coleman)
Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast)

ASIN: B00005Q6IN
Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

A Day In Hollywood A Night In Ukraine: Just Go To The Movies - Priscilla Lopez/David Garrison/Frank Lazarus/Stephen James/Peggy Hewett/Kate Draper
Babes In Arms: I Wish I Were In Love Again - Christopher Fitzgerald Jessica Stone
Pal Joey: Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - Patti LuPone
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend - KT Sullivan
Nunsense: I Just Want To Be A Star - Christine Anderson
Louisiana Purchase: Wild About You - Debbie Gravitte & New York Voices
Oil City Symphony: Beaver Ball At The Bug Club - Mike Craver/Mark Hardwick/Debra Monk/Mary Murfitt
Falsettoland: The Baseball Game - Michael Rupert/Chip Zien/Faith Prince/Janet Metz/Heather MacRae/Stephen Bogardus
Very Good Eddie: Isn't It Great To Be Married? - Virginia Seidel/Spring Fairbank/Charles Repole/Nicholas Wyman
The Fantasticks: A Perfect Time To Be In Love - Harvey Schmidt
Call Me Madam: You're Just In Love - Tyne Daly/Lewis Cleale
Taking My Turn: Fine For The Shape I'm In - Margaret Whiting/Marnie Nixon/Cissy Houston
A Party With Betty Comden & Adolph Green: The French Lesson - Betty Comdon/Adolph Green
The Madwoman Of Central Park: Better - Phyllis Newman
Greenwillow: Never Will I Marry - Anthony Perkins
Song Of Singapore: I Can't Remember - Loretta Swit & Company
Tintypes: Elite Syncopation/I'm Goin' To Live Anyhow, 'Til I Die - Lynne Thigpen
I Love My Wife: Someone Wonderful I Missed - Joanna Gleason/Ilene Graff
The Good Companions: The Pleasure Of Your Company - Malcolm Rennie/Christopher Gable
Forbidden Broadway 20th Anniversary: Liza One-Note - Christine Pedi
Meet Me In St. Louis: The Trolley Song - Donna Kane & Ensemble

Tracks:

4 Guys Named Jose...And Una Mujer Named Maria!: Feel It - Philip Anthony/Henry Gainza/Allen Hidalgo/Ricardo Puente
Fame - The Musical: There She Goes!/Fame - Natasha Rennalls & Ensemble
Do Re Mi: What's New At The Zoo? - Heather Headley/The Animal Girls
High Society: Once Upon A Time/True Love - Melissa Errico/Daniel McDonald
Tenderloin: Artificial Flowers - Patrick Wilson
State Fair: Driving At Night/Our State Fair - Company
Kiss Me, Kate: Were Thine That Special Face - Brian Stokes Mitchell
Black And Blue: Black And Blue - Linda Hopkins/Ruth Brown/Carrie Smith
The Green Bird: O Foolish Heart - Company
Out Of This World: From This Moment On - Marin Mazzie/Gregg Edelman
The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love - Davis Gaines/Sarah Berry
Snoopy!!!: Poor Sweet Baby - Pamela Myers
SeesawNobody Does It Like Me - Michele Lee
March Of The Falsettos: I Never Wanted To Love You - Michael Rupert/Stephen Bogardus/Alison Fraser/Chip Zien/James Kushner
Lunch: Perfectly Alone - Carol Burnett
3hree: Foolish Dreamin'/Something Beautiful/Real Enough To Change My Mind - Jessica Molaskey/Will Gartshore/Rachel Ulanet
Lucky In The Rain: Love Me As If There Were No Tomorrow - Barbara Cook
Godspell: All Good Gifts - Sal Sabella & Company
The Act: Walking Papers - Liza Minnelli & Company

Customer Reviews:

Great compilation.......2002-05-10

I don't actually own this particular compilation, however, since I own nearly every recording represented on these discs...I think I'm qualified to comment. This is a wonderful representation of the high quality of work that DRG Records does.
The previous review is way off the mark. This is definitely not a waste of time or money. This is 25 years of preserving Broadway shows, Off-Broadway shows, studio recordings (mostly from the city center concerts), etc. So what if they "aren't as good as the original", DRG is preserving many recordings and artists that other mainstream labels don't or won't. You have wonderful recordings from Brian Stokes Mitchell, Nathan Lane, Debbie Gravitte, Tyne Daly, Anthony Perkins, Joanna Gleason, Marin Mazzie, Carol Burnett, Heather Headley, Patti LuPone, Barbara Cook, etc., and many of these are from Original Cast Recordings just as they appeared on Broadway. This is an excellent sampler of the work going on at DRG. No...I'm not an employee...just an avid listener and collector of theatre recordings.

A disappointment.......2001-12-15

There's a reason you've probably never heard of most of the songs and shows on this album, not to mention most of the artists. This is a second-rate collection of second-rate numbers performed by mostly second-rate artists. In the case of the shows that were revivals, the performances on the original cast recordings were better. Don't waste your money.

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