If you ever listen to Sirius Radio, you know that there are stations like “Siriusly Sinatra,” “50s on 5,” “BB King’s Bluesville” or “Deep Tracks” that feature music that is both focused on a genre, but also with enough obscure beauties to keep you on your toes. This 4 cd anthology of Thelonious Monk could easily be a program all its own for the satellite listeners. It gives a healthy overview of the influential pianist during his most fertile years, and has him in a wide variety of settings and moods. I’m also willing to bet that no one has all of the recordings here-there are some real hidden gems in this cache!
The earliest sessions here are from the famed Minton gigs in 1941, with Monk teamed with Don Byas’ Quintet for “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” as well as him along with Kenny Clarke/d in Hot Lips Page’s Orchestra for “Sweet Lorraine.” Things start getting real hip when Coleman Hawkins hires him in 1944 for a bopping “Flyin’ Hawk” and Dizzy Gillespies Big Band dazzles on “Things To Come.” After that, Monk leads his own band on the famed Blue Note sessions with classic tunes like “Well, You Needn’t” and “Ruby My Dear” in a trio setting and “In Walked Bud” and “Four I One” in small group sessions.
You then get his Fantasy sides with Sonny Rollins and Frank Foster which have snappy reads of “Let’s Call This” and “Locomotive” respectfully, and then the gem of a solo piece on “Portrait of An Ermite.” His genius comes out on the high water mark sessions for Riverside, tackling the Ellington songbook with aplomb with “It Don’t Mean A Thing” and the American Standards with “The Way You Look Tonight.” His famous (or notorious) Christmas Eve 1954 session with Miles Davis and Milt Jackson still sounds wonderful with “The Man I Love” and “Bag’s Groove” still able to raise eyebrows and the herky jerky “Brilliant Corners” from 1956 is as gorgeously idiosyncratic as you could desire.
The famous sessions with John Coltrane serve as another zenith, be it the ruminating “Monk’s Mood,” quirky “Nutty” or driving “Epistrophy” which pits Trane alongside Coleman Hawkins. Speaking of tenors, the 1958 gig at the Five Spot with Johnny Griffen is a blowout, while his last working tenor man, Charlie Rouse, is featured on “Crepescule With Nellie” and “Rhythm-A-Ning” from 59-61. This Whitman’s Sampler of Monk’s bon bons is a delight in every wrapped bite. Munch away!
Acrobat Records