Search - Thelonious Monk :: Anthology 1952 & 1956

If you're only going to buy one....

Mr. Kurt Tidmore | Ireland | 06/07/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thelonious Monk was one of the most important figures in jazz in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Almost everybody who was anybody played with him, and his unique style of playing made a lot of people -- among them John Coletrane -- completely rethink what they were doing. On top of this he was one of the most brilliant jazz composers of the era. This 2-CD set captures him at his absolute peak with a variety of great bands, and it includes many of his best tunes. If you're looking for a place to start with Monk, this is a great place."

"Anthology 1952-1956 ... Thelonious Monk ... Cabu/Koch"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 05/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CABU Music and Koch presents "THELONIOUS MONK - ANTHOLOGY 1952-1956" --- Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917-February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer --- Widely considered one of the most important musicians in jazz, Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire (including his classic works "'Round Midnight" and "Blue Monk") --- He is often regarded as a founder of bebop, although his playing style evolved away from that form --- His compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, and are impossible to separate from Monk's unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of silences and hesitations.



After his cycle of intermittent recording sessions for Blue Note during 1947-1952, he was under contract to Prestige Records for the following two years --- With Prestige he cut several under-recognized, but highly significant albums, including collaborations with saxophonist Sonny Rollins and drummer Art Blakey --- In 1954, Monk participated in the famed Christmas Eve sessions which produced the albums, Bags' Groove and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants by Miles Davis --- Davis found Monk's idiosyncratic accompaniment style difficult to improvise over and asked him to lay out (not accompany), which almost brought them to blows --- However, in Miles Davis' autobiography Miles, Davis claims that the anger and tension between Monk and himself never took place and that the claims of blows being exchanged were "rumors" and a "misunderstanding." --- In 1954, Monk paid his first visit to Europe, performing and recording in Paris --- It was here that he first met Baroness Pannonica "Nica" de Koenigswarter, a member of the Rothschild banking family of England and a patroness of several New York City jazz musicians --- She would be a close friend for the rest of Monk's life



Monk died of a stroke on February 17, 1982 and was buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York --- Since his death, his music has been rediscovered by a wider audience and he is now counted alongside the likes of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and others as a major figure in the history of jazz --- In 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2006, Monk was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation --- Monk's music is arguably the most recorded of any jazz composer--- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)



Anthology, 1952-1956 (Track Listings)

DISC ONE (1)

1 Skippy / Thelonious Monk Sextet 3:03

2 Hornin' In / Thelonious Monk Sextet 3:16

3 Carolina Moon / Thelonious Monk Sextet 3:30

4 Let's Cool One / Thelonious Monk Sextet 3:50

5 Little Rootie Tootie / Thelonious Monk Trio 3:07

6 Sweet and Lovely / Thelonious Monk Trio 3:36

7 Monk's Dream / Thelonious Monk Trio 3:07

8 Bemsha Swing / Thelonious Monk Trio 3:12

9 Trinkle, Tinkle / Thelonious Monk Trio 2:51

10 These Foolish Things / Thelonious Monk Trio 2:48

11 Let's Call This / Thelonious Monk Quintet 5:09

12 We See / Thelonious Monk Quintet 5:17

13 Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / Thelonious Monk Quintet 4:32

14 Hackensack / Thelonious Monk Quintet 5:12

15 Well You Needn't 3:30

16 Round About Midnight 5:20

17 Eronel 2:36

18 Just a Gigolo 3:02

19 Work / Thelonious Monk Trio 5:18



DISC TWO (2)

1 Blue Monk / Thelonious Monk Trio 7:40

2 The Man I Love / Miles Davis All-Stars 8:09

3 I Let a Song Go out of My Heart / Thelonious Monk Trio 5:43

4 Sophisticated Lady / Thelonious Monk Trio 4:31

5 Caravan / Thelonious Monk Trio 6:01

6 Shuffle Boil / Gigi Gryce Quartet 5:08

7 Liza / Thelonious Monk Trio 3:14

8 You Are Too Beautiful / Thelonious Monk Trio 4:59

9 Tea for Two / Thelonious Monk Trio 5:55

10 Honeysuckle Rose / Thelonious Monk Trio 5:34

11 Pannonica / Thelonious Monk Quintet 8:51

12 Brilliant Corners / Thelonious Monk Quintet 7:43



Hats off to Cabu Music and Koch --- strongly recommend this CD to music lovers and all others who need to hear some great Jazz music --- Thelonious Monk please stand up and take a bow for this well deserved rare gem you've given us --- this is a keeper!



Total Time: 143 mins on 31 Tracks ~ CABU Music 536 ~ (4/01/2008)"