Monk [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Thelonious Monk | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 3, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00006GOA6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,242 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)

2. April in Paris [take 6]

3. Children's Song (That Old Man)

4. I Love You (Sweetheart of All My Dreams)

5. Just You, Just Me

6. Pannonica [Re-Take 2]

7. Teo

8. April in Paris [Take 1][#][*]

9. Pannonica [Take 2][#][*]

10. Medley: Just You, Just Me/Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) [#][*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid CD rewards repeat listening..., May 11, 2003

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Monk (Audio CD)

This one's a recent reissue and gives 68 minutes of pleasure. Perhaps it is just a hair below "Monk's Dream" in overall excitement, but the distinction is a small one. Personal taste has to come into play when rating one Monk release against another, because there do not seem to be any failures. On this 1964 effort with Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, plus bass and drums, Thelonious tackles the standard "April in Paris" in two takes occupying 16 minutes. While you can certainly recognize the tune in each version, he and the group do intriguing things with it. A novelty on here is "Children's Song", also known as "This Old Man, He Play One" and Monk's sense of fun is contagious. The whole thing is good, and if you have earphones, give this CD an hour of total attention in an intimate way. Once you do that, then having it on the living room machine or on in the car will be even more enjoyable, despite distractions and conversations. Many people seem to feel Monk strayed too far from conventional melody too often. I own seven of his CD's now, and that's not a complaint I share. I hear him teasing, departing, experimenting, challenging and returning, and guiding his combo to do the same. But while he liked to hit what other people called "the wrong note" on purpose, to me, he has hardly created any single minute in all seven CD's which is harsh. I am not a musician, and the terms "dissonance" or "atonal" have technical meanings I'm unsure of, but I have even heard late-career relases by John Coltrane, who I love, which are unpleasant and too weird for me. Thelonious isn't like that. There is always "music" under his fingers, and he always gets back to it quickly if he does stray. Don't be afraid of Monk if you are new to jazz. Buy one of his efforts after reading several reviews and take a chance. I don't think you'll be sorry.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enhanced by the test of time!, September 5, 2002

By 

Dr.D.Treharne (Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Monk (Audio CD)

Recorded in October 1964 by what was Monk's regular quartet at the time, this has definately stood the test of time, is enhanced by the remastering and has the bonus of three extra tracks ( of which more later).Monk's idiosyncratic piano playing is at the fore in each of the selections, but Charlie Rouse on Tenor Sax does his best to match him, laying down squirting fluid blocks of notes as a counterpoint to the blocks of bent piano notes.Larry Gales on Bass and Ben Riley on drums add to the mix, unerringly managing to pick up where Rouse or Monk are going to turn. The album is also full of humour, with quirky signatures cropping up throughout the released album and the bonus tracks; listening to "Childrens Song" there are snatches of several themes all skillfully woven together. It's difficult to choose favourites, but "Pannonica" (which is retake two) works for me. Even better in some ways is the Medley on track 10 is what this quartet was about. Monk takes a single chorus of "Just You" then (clearly without warning)takes off into "Lisa" with Rouse seemingly undisturbed by this development finding his way seamlessly into it, and that tune continues until one verse from the end when Monk takes it back into 'Just you". A breathtaking end to a great album that with this reissue has become a "must have".

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Overlooked Classic, September 13, 2010

By 

Michael Brumitt (Indianapolis, IN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Monk (Audio CD)

I'm not entirely sure how the criticism managed to come about that this album isn't one of Monk's better works during his years at Columbia. "Monk." is a winner from start to finish and provides an excellent snapshot of the the lineup, one of Monk's most widely known groups, working brilliantly together. The song choices and soloing are excellent, with Charlie Rouse on tenor doing some of his best playing, and there's even a Monk solo piece as well. Another astounding album from Monk & Co.