Customer Reviews

The Complete Prestige Recordings

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I'm a bit surprised this box set has not received more enthusiastic attention. First off, it contains all original recordings (unlike some of Monk's Columbia recordings), and the list of classic Monk tunes reads long, including Monk's Dream, Hackensack, Nutty, Bemsha Swing, and Trinkle Tinkle. The first CD even has some very early tracks of Monk playing with none other than Coleman Hawkins: a very rare nostalgic treat despite the subpar sound quality of those sessions. In between that beginning and the final cd of Monk playing with Miles and Milt Jackson (on the classic "Bag's Groove" recording), there are many good tunes played with bands featuring amoung others the likes of Sonny Rollins, Percy Heath, Max Roach, Art Blakey, and Frank Foster. Moreover, these recordings are truely representative of the classic Monk sound that made him so unique and eventually world famous. And 50 years later the music still sounds just as fresh and quirky, partly because Monk was so unique that few would dare or have the imagination to imitate him. One of the few musicians who exercised his full right to artistic freedom.

The sessions with Art Blakey that include tunes like "Hacken- sack" and the Latino blue "Bye-Ya" are superb, with bassist Percy Heath contributing a steady thump on several of these sessions. The '44 Coleman Hawkins sessions have bad sound but great soloing from Hawkins. The star however is a young Sonny Rollins turning it out on "Think of One". Monk's playing always sounds cutting-edge never 48 years old. This is crucial hard bop from a crew of super geniuses.

Monk's years at Prestige are often overlooked, in comparison with the attention given to his Riverside and Columbia years. This well-priced collection offers wonderful selections with Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Colman Hawkins and Max Roach. The real gem here is disc 3, containing the famous Christmas Eve 1954 session with Miles and Milt Jackson. The 20-Bit remastering is truly outstanding!!! In fact, if they ever re-do the pricey Riverside Box in this mannor, I may just have to buy that as well!!! Wonderful stuff.....

Anyone curious about Thelonious Monk would be very interested in aquiring this 1952-1954 Prestige box set. For one thing, this is his complete recordings for Prestige already put together and digitally remastered with great new liner notes about the recording sessions for each album. I have never been this happy and pleased with a box set since I bought Bill Evans - "The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961."

Like many of the reviewers have stated already, Monk absolutely rips the keys apart on many of these tunes. It is by far one of the best representations of his piano playing than any other box set. Everything here is simply ear candy.

Here are all the musicans that appear on this box set: Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); Miles Davis, Ray Copeland (trumpet);Julius Watkins (French horn); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Gary Mapp, Tommy Potter, Edward "Bass" Robinson, Curly Russell (bass); and Art Taylor, Denzil Best, Kenny Clarke, Willie Jones, Max Roach (drums).

Instead of buying these records individually, I would recommend going ahead and putting the money toward this set. I would also recommend this box set to anyone interested in hearing one of the true innovators of jazz.

This set also contains the only other version of one of my favorite Monk compositions "Locomotive," which also appears years later on his Columbia album "Straight, No Chaser."

If you like smoking piano jazz, then buy this today.

Thelonious Monk recorded for Prestige in between stints with Blue Note & Riverside. The Blue Note stuff is special because they are some of Monk's earliest recordings; the Riverside because they are comprised of some of Monk's best recordings, from what is arguably his most creative period.

The "odd man out" in Monk's catalogue are the Prestige recordings. There are only 3 discs to this often-downplayed period in Monk's career, but the recordings are - like most everything Monk did - excellent. Working with greats like Sonny Rollins & Miles Davis, Monk tackles, for the most part, tunes penned by other writers. Only 15 originals are in this set, but that's part of the Prestige material's charm.

24-bit remastering and neat packaging with excellent liner notes, this is an excellent companion to the Blue Note, Riverside & London material. If you're a big Monk fan, these discs belong in your collection.

The reason I bought this 3 CD-set in the first place was for CD 3, because it combines the Monk tracks from the "Bag's Groove" and "Miles Davis and the Jazz Giants" CDs, thus presenting on one CD that famous Christmas Eve recording session.....but all three CDs are great...the 22 bit remastering is flawless. Sure I won't play everything on the first two CDs...that is, the first four tracks on CD one are interesting in that they present Monk's first recording session with Coleman Hawkins, but those tracks are only worth listening to once...the remainder of CD one is SUPER GREAT...and similarly on CD two, the MONK material is BRILLIANT, but I'll tend to skip a few of the Sonny Rollins tracks...and ALL of CD 3 is fantastic. Bag's Groove (both versions 1 & 2) may be my favorite jazz tracks of all time. Miles and Monk both sound great (though Monk lays out when Miles plays...that's OK) and then you get the great MILT JACKSON on vibes on every track of CD 3. Milt Jackson is SUPER COOL on CD 3. I tell ya, once I discovered Thelonious Monk, no one else comes close to his quirky genius.

The only weakness in this release, is the fact
that on the third CD (with Miles Davis, also
elsewhere available as Bag's Groove) there's
midway a lot of background noise mixed in with
the musicians and instruments, coming from the
tape recording machine itself, which is very
annoying. For some reason, in the first half of
the third CD, it doesn't come across almost at
all, until it becomes annoying, as I said, in the
final half of the third CD.
Another weakness, is that the CD's are packaged
as 3 distinct, separate jewel case, taking up
a lot of space, when a small, triple CD jewel
case could have held all 3 of the CD's.

The strong points, is the excellent sound, excellent
compositions, excellent performances, excellent
artistic and performance value in the perspective
of the listener, and all this, coming from a moment
when little money, mass media attention, or public
recognition was given to Monk, jazz, label owners
or even, to the importance of recording technology,
in the studio, back in 1948 or 1950.

All in all, great music ...a keeper. The artwork and
commentary, is a bonus, also. Very nice.

Although I had a few of his cd's, I never "got" Monk until I saw the Ken Burns jazz film. There's some priceless footage of Monk live in there and it shows you that not only is he playing the music, he's playing *with* the music.

The Prestige recordings were made after Monk was able to regain his cabaret card in the early 50's. He had been unable to play live for several years prior. You can hear Monk busting loose on these tracks, I have yet to hear Monk play with more intensity than he does here. It sounds like he's trying to make up for lost time.

If you want to hear Monk's best songs, get "Genius of Modern Music". If you are new to Monk and his distinctive playings style, try one of the Columbia recordings like "Straight No Chaser". They're a little easier on new ears. But if you want to hear Monk the pianist in take-no-prisoners mode, look no further than this beautiful package.

The only weakness in this release, is the fact
that on the third CD (with Miles Davis, also
elsewhere available as Bag's Groove) there's
midway a lot of background noise mixed in with
the musicians and instruments, coming from the
tape recording machine itself, which is very
annoying. For some reason, in the first half of
the third CD, it doesn't come across almost at
all, until it becomes annoying, as I said, in the
final half of the third CD.

Another weakness, is that the CD's are packaged
as 3 distinct, separate jewel case, taking up
a lot of space, when a small, triple CD jewel
case could have held all 3 of the CD's.

The strong points, is the excellent sound, excellent
compositions, excellent performances, excellent
artistic and performance value in the perspective
of the listener, and all this, coming from a moment
when little money, mass media attention, or public
recognition was given to Monk, jazz, label owners
or even, to the importance of recording technology,
in the studio, back in 1948 or 1950.

All in all, great music ...a keeper. The artwork and
commentary, is a bonus, also. Very nice.