Monk's Dream

T.s.monk, Thelonious Monk

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: October 31, 1962
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026BE
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,004 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Thelonious Sphere Monk was 45 when he began work in 1962 on Monk's Dream, his first recording for a big mainstream label. Thus, the 8 tracks here, a mixture of Monk originals and standards, present the bop pianist at a career peak, documenting music that is both challenging and immediately accessible. Playing with his touring quartet, Monk makes each song his own, finding a typically quirky melody line within the romance of "Body and Soul" or the swing of "Bright Mississippi." Tenor saxman Charles Rouse adds some soothing horn soloing, but it's Monk's bright, intuitive playing that makes this a late bop milestone. Timeless. --Steve Appleford

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Monk-THE place to start., February 20, 2002

By	Andy Williamson (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This disc is my favorite of Monk's. It's a blast to listen to and very easy to hum along to. Great tunes! This is also a great place for those unfamiliar with Monk to begin to explore his unique piano universe. A number of my friends who normally do not listen to jazz have found themselves really enjoying this album. Monk was uniquely able to craft instantly catchy tunes without sounding cliche or Kenny G. Check out "Bright Mississippi" for starters. The music *sounds* like sunlight glistening off of the waters' surface. The way this group swings has not been matched, except perhaps by a few Art Blakey recordings. Not one even average tune. An amazing album and a high point in Monk's career.

Essential.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Monk, April 21, 2000

By A Customer

This is my favorite Monk record for several reasons.

1. The lineup is perfect for Monk's music. Charlie Rouse understood Monk's music better than any other sax player, and it shows on this record. The rhythm section also seems just right.

2. The tunes. The Monk originals seem perfectly realized, and the covers benefit so much from Monk's approach that they almost seem like new definitive versions.

3. It's the most 'fun' Monk album. It probably grooves better than any other Monk album. It's not chock-full of Monk's most celebrated original works, but it's a really well-crafted example of jazz music at its brightest. There's nothing melancholy about this one. I highly recommend it.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most composers can only dream of such perfection, April 29, 2001

By	rballjones "rballjones" (Des Moines, IA USA) - See all my reviews

I just love to discover great new or old music and it's happened again with Thelonius Monk. I'd always heard *of* him but never got around to listening. Well, jazzed by the recent Ken Burns series (although I missed the Monk portion), I bought a Monk CD, and another, and now more. I'm knocked out by Monk's Dream and Straight, No Chaser in particular. He plays such pretty melodies on the piano but always with a touch of dissonance (although not too much). It's as if Monk is saying, ah, it's a beautiful world but some things aren't quite right so I'm gonna add a little edge to this chord--which he does. Monk is mercurial, with swing. And the band swings right along. The interplay between Monk and Charlie Rouse is especially satisfying. Agreed, this is a great CD for introducing someone to jazz.