1. Scott Hamilton & Jesper Thilo - Blue Monk (09:22)
2. Kenny Werner & Jens Sondergaard - Round Midnight (06:13)
3. Claus Waidtlow Quartet - Evidence (05:48)
4. Per Henrik Wallin Trio - Little Rootie Tootie (04:13)
5. Erik Orum Von Spreckelsen Quartet - I Mean You (07:42)
6. Peter Fuglsang, Henrik Gunde, Kaspar Vadsholt & Jeppe Gram - Monk's Mood (05:30)
7. Kasper Villaume, Chriss Potter, Chris Minh Doky & Ali Jackson - Green Chimneys (07:45)
8. Carsten Dahl - Well You Needn't (04:19)
9. Alex Riel, Mads Vinding, Thomas Clausen, Jesper Thilo & Johnny Griffin - Rhythm-a-Ning (09:36)
10. Jakob Dinesen Quartet - Criss Cross (05:26)
11. Jim McNeely, Lennart Ginman & Adam Nussbaum - Bye Ya (06:46)
12. Niclas Knudsen - Monk's Mood (06:15)
13. Per Henrik Wallin Trio - We See (06:09)
14. Jakob Dinesen Quartet - Work (04:37)

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A1 	Jackie-ing 	6:01
A2 	Straight, No Chaser 	9:16
A3 	Played Twice 	7:55
B1 	I Mean You 	9:43
B2 	Ask Me Now 	10:43

Bass – Sam Jones
Cornet – Thad Jones
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano, Composed By – Thelonious Monk
Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Rouse

As the '50s drew to a close, so did Thelonious Monk's illustrious tenure on Riverside Records. In fact, the three dates needed for this title would be his penultimate for the label. The concept of the album consists of five Monk originals performed in a quintet setting. Ironically, this was the first time that Monk had recorded with a lineup that so prominently featured the "standard" bop rhythm section incorporating both a trumpet (or, in this case, cornet) and sax player. The quintet featured on 5 by Monk by 5 includes Monk (piano), Thad Jones (cornet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Rouse would become Monk's permanent tenor saxophonist for the majority of the 1960s. In what had become somewhat of a tradition, the disc's program consists of several of Monk's more established works as well as a few new compositions. One of the new works, "Jackie-ing" (incidentally, named after one of Monk's nieces), leads off the disc. It exemplifies the loose, disjointed, and exceedingly difficult arrangements that would define Monk as a premier composer/arranger/bandleader. This is in contrast to Monk the keyboard player and band member, which he skilfully demonstrates throughout the track as well as the rest of the album. The song's opening jam features a tasty tug of war between Rouse's animated lead and Monk's interjections and piano antics. Jones' cornet is incorporated tastefully throughout Monk's tricky arrangements. The stark contrast in performance timbre between the comparatively subdued Rouse or Monk and the frenetic bleating of Jones is notably disconcerting. [Some reissues includes two alternate takes of "Played Twice," the other Monk composition to be debuted on 5 by Monk by 5.] ---Lindsay Planer, Rovi

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1 	Round About Midnight 	5:14
2 	Evidence 	3:04
3 	Smoke Gets In Your Eyes 	3:23
4 	Well You Needn't 	3:24
5 	Reflections 	3:01
6 	Wee See 	2:34
7 	Eronel 	2:32
8 	Off Minor 	2:31

Thelonious Monk - piano
Percy Heath - bass
Al McKibbon - bass
Max Roach - drums
Art Blakey - drums

Less than a month after leading a quartet session with Ray Copeland (trumpet), Frank Foster (tenor sax), and Curly Russell (bass), Thelonious Monk (piano) was documented during this June 7, 1954 solo session in Paris for the Vogue label. Over the years these nine performances have been packaged and re-packaged. This mid-'90s CD reissue seems to take a bit of an edge over many of the midline titles as the audio has been remastered and by all accounts sounds excellent. In terms of contents, it is interesting to note that three of the numbers Monk had cut with Copeland, Foster, and Russell on May 11, 1954, he re-recorded in this, his very next studio outing. Those selections include the Monk originals "We See," "Hackensack," and cover of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." It is indeed a thrill to hear the artist accompanying himself on eight of his best-known and loved songs. There truly isn't a dull moment during the half-hour program, beginning with the charm and sophistication of "'Round Midnight." With all excessive (read: "other") instrumentation stripped away, the true density inherent in Monk's arrangements, as well as his equally complex performance style is more clearly revealed. The hurdy-gurdy of "Evidence" has a playful organic quality that sounds comparatively rigid or structured when placed beside any of the renditions Monk cut in a quartet, for instance. At times, it sounds as if he is genuinely amusing himself as he weaves short responsive phrases. The aforementioned update of Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is wistful as the melody line spills out, almost as if by accident, from beneath Monk's fingertips. The sly understated gamboling on "Well You Needn't" is often hidden in the context of a larger ensemble. When peeled back, what lays bare are sturdier examples of Monk's influences -- namely the stride style heard in Fats Waller and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Yet he never allows his counterpoint to stray too far. The laid-back and impish "We See" rollicks as Monk's frenetic runs up and down the keys are punctuated in a taunting manner by emphatically rhythm-centric chord progressions. The pensive nature of "Reflections" resonates with a particular potency masked by the intrusive nature of additional instrumentation. Surely if ever Monk wrote a tune that worked most effectively as a piano solo, it is "Reflections." And that is a sentiment that could actually extend to the whole (and remainder) of Solo 1954 as well. ---Lindsay Planer, AllMusic Review

Album zaliczany do 100 najlepszych jazzowych albumów wszechczasów!!!. Wspaniały skład tria założonego przez ekscentrycznego Theloniousa Monka we własnym repertuarze.

Płyta zawiera pierworodną wersję monkowskiego szlagieru "Blue Monk". To niezwykły krążek zawiera nagrania, które powstały pomiędzy 1951 - 1954. Niestety do dzisiaj zachowało się niewiele nagrań studyjnych tria Monka, na dobrą sprawę z wyjątkiem pierwszego tria z 1947 roku, płyty "the trio Plays Duke Ellington" z 1955 roku, oraz późnego nagrania z Artem Blakey'em i Alem McKibbonem z Londynu z 1971, są to JEDYNE STUDYJNE nagrania Monka.

Thelonious Monk preferował skład kwartetowy (najczęściej u boku mistrza pojawiał się Charlie Rouse na saksofonie tenorowym), przez kilka lat prowadził duże składe oktetowo-nonetowe, pojawiali się tam m.in. Clark Terry, Ray Copeland, Johnny Griffin czy Phil Woods. Zwykł również grywać utwory solo podczas występów, co świadczyło o wszechstronności i nieustających poszukiwaniach tego wyjątkowego innowatora jazzowego fortepianu. Nie wiadomo, dlaczego nie był fanem grania w trio, lecz może ma to związek z tą szczególną wielogłosowością jego kompozycji, która pewnie lepiej realizowała się w większych składach z instrumentami dętymi.

Na płycie "Complete 1951-1954 Recordings" usłyszymy wszystkie atuty monkowskiego stylu (z typowym dla niego "groovem" i nietypowymi dysonansami), który przez wiele lat uznawany był za zbyt awangardowy a dzisiaj stanowi niedościgły wzór dla kolejnych pokoleń pianistów. ---empik.com

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01 I Mean You
02 Ruby My Dear
03 Straight, No Chaser
04 Bright Mississippi
05 Light Blue
06 Epistrophy
07 Don't Blame Me
08 I Love You, Sweetheart of All My Dreams
09 Crepuscule with Nellie
10 Bright Mississippi (Reprise)
11 Nutty
12 Blue Monk

Thelonious Monk - piano
Charlie Rouse - tenor sax
Nate Hygelund - bass
Paris Wright - drums
Philly Joe Jones - drums (11)

Thelonious Monk was having a rough time of it during the latter 1960s. Experiencing health and some economic problems, he was also in dispute with Columbia Records, whose marketing department was trying to re-create him in the image of a rock star (see the cover of Underground). On top of this, he had lost his core rhythm section, bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley. For his eighth European tour, the pianist hired young, unknown players as accompanists for himself and saxophonist Charlie Rouse: Berklee music school student Nate "Lloyd" Hygelund on bass and 17-year-old drummer Paris Wright -- son of bassist Herman Wright. This date was recorded on the last night of the tour at the 3,800 seat Salle Pleyel (the same theater in which a far lesser-known Monk, playing with a local rhythm section, had bombed badly in 1954), and was filmed for French television broadcast. The members of this band had been able to establish a rapport during their travels, including a stint at Ronnie Scott's in London as well as gigs in Berlin, Cologne, and Italy. The show finds Monk and band playing well -- even if, at times, they are just swinging through the tunes rather than embellishing them. The versions of his classic tunes -- "Ruby My Dear," "Straight, No Chaser," "Light Blue," "Epistrophy," "Crepuscule with Nelly," "Bright Mississippi" -- and others are played with a sophisticated command, if not the experimentation they once contained. Wright is a perfectly capable, hard-swinging hard bop drummer; his chops are impressive -- for his age -- if not exceptional. Hygelund is the perfect timekeeper, always physical and in the pocket, and Rouse, so familiar with his boss' music, plays it so effortlessly and perfectly that at times he seems on autopilot -- save for his angular solo on "Light Blue." Monk, despite his health problems, seems undiminished. While there is no dancing, unpredictable bashing of chords with his elbows, or other theatrics common to his earlier persona, his sense of rhythm, harmony, imagination, and swing is ample. Wright gets a lesson in how it's all done on "Nutty," when the pianist calls out Philly Joe Jones (then a resident of Paris), who, though looking haggard, adds a polyrhythmic thrust to the proceedings that emboldens and energizes Monk. Another spot where we hear the pianist stretch is in his uncharacteristically busy flourishes on "Ruby My Dear." This volume is a welcome addition to Monk's recorded catalog; it adds a fine performance to counter the then-popular critical notion that the great composer and pianist was languishing. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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01 - Locomotive 
02 - I Didn't Know About You 
03 - Straight, No Chaser 
04 - Japanese Folk Song (Kojo No Tsuki) 
05 - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea 
06 - We See 
07 - This Is My Story, This Is My Song 
08 - I Didn't Know About You 
09 - Green Chimneys

Thelonious Monk - Composer, Piano
Larry "Lonnie" Gales - Bass
Ben Riley - Drums
Charlie Rouse - Sax (Tenor) 

This is the sixth studio album cut by Thelonious Monk under the production/direction of Teo Macero for Columbia and as such should not be confused with the original motion picture soundtrack to the 1988 film of the same name. The band featured here includes: Monk (piano), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Ben Riley (drums), and Larry Gales (bass). This would be the final quartet Monk would assemble to record with in the studio. While far from being somber, this unit retained a mature flavor which would likewise place Monk's solos in a completely new context. At times, this adaptation presents itself more subtly than others. For instance, Monk's extended solo in "Locomotive" never reaches beyond itself due in part to the tempo-laden rhythm section. The contrast of styles, however, appreciates the caliber of this particular solo, including an obvious assertion by Monk which leads the band, albeit temporarily, into playing double-time. Other recommended quartet selections on this disc include a liberated version of the title track, which highlights some stellar interaction between Monk and Rouse. The same can be said for "We See," which features the hardest bop on the album. In addition to the quartet sides, Straight, No Chaser contains two unaccompanied piano solos: "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "This Is My Story, This Is My Song." [The original disc only included six performances, half of which were edited due to the stringent time constraints of vinyl; subsequent reissues not only restored all of the previously abridged performances, but also added a trio of sides, two of which ("I Didn't Know About You: Take 1" and "Green Chimneys") are issued here for the first time.] ---Lindsay Planer, Rovi

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01 – Thelonious (Take 1)
02 - Ugly Beauty
03 - Raise Four
04 - Boo Boo's Birthday
05 - Easy Street
06 - Green Chimneys
07 - In Walked Bud
08 - Ugly Beauty (Take 4)
09 - Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 2)
10 - Thelonious (Take 3)

Musicians
    Thelonious Monk - piano, composer.
    Larry Gales - bass.
    Charlie Rouse - tenor sax.
    Ben Riley - drums.
    Jon Hendricks - vocals/lyrics on "In Walked Bud"

This release has long been considered Thelonious Monk's acknowledgement to the flourishing youth-oriented subculture from whence the collection takes its name. Certainly the Grammy-winning cover art -- which depicts Monk as a World War II French revolutionary toting an automatic weapon -- gave the establishment more than the brilliant swinging sounds in the grooves to consider. Underground became Monk's penultimate studio album, as well as the final release to feature the '60s quartet: Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Ben Riley (drums), and Larry Gales (bass) behind Monk (piano). One of the motifs running throughout Monk's recording career is the revisitation of titles from his voluminous back catalog. The tradition continues with the autobiographical leadoff track, "Thelonious." The instantly recognizable stride piano lines are delivered with the same urgency and precision that they possessed over two decades earlier when he first recorded the track for Blue Note. The presence of Charlie Rouse throughout the album is certainly worth noting. "Ugly Beauty" best captures the sacred space and musical rapport that he and Monk shared. Each musician functions as an extension of the other, creating solos that weave synchronically as if performed by the same pair of hands. Newer material, such as the playful "Green Chimneys" -- named after the school Monk's daughter attended -- as well as the unbalanced hypnotism of "Raise Four," asserts the timelessness and relevance of Monk's brand of bop. The disc ends as it begins with a new twist on an old favorite. Jon Hendricks -- who provides lyrics and vocals on "In Walked Bud" -- recalls the hustle and bustle of the real and spontaneous underground Harlem jam sessions of the late '40s. It is likewise an apt bookend to this chapter in the professional life of Thelonious Monk. ---Lindsay Planer, Rovi

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01. Light Blue [05:15]
02. Coming on the Hudson [05:25]
03. Rhythm-A-Ning [09:26]
04. Epistrophy (Theme) [01:07]
05. Blue Monk [08:32]
06. Evidence [08:49]
07. Epistrophy (Theme) [01:08]
08. Unidentified Solo Piano  [01:54]
09. Blues Five Spot  [09:57]
10. In Walked Bud / Epistrophy (Theme)  [10:58]

Thelonious Monk — piano
Johnny Griffin — tenor saxophone
Ahmed Abdul-Malik — bass
Roy Haynes — drums

Recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe, August 7, 1958.
Bonus Tracks 8-10 were recorded on July 9, 1958

Although the contents of the original Thelonious in Action vinyl comes from the August 7, 1958 show, the CD reissue, which was released three decades later, incorporates over 20 minutes of extras from a July 9 gig that had been previously rejected by the artist. While in exceptional form, Monk is far from casting the only or even the brightest light during these unforgettable sides. Joining him on-stage at the legendary Five Spot club are: Johnny Griffin (tenor sax), Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass), and Roy Haynes. It's unfortunate that this unit did not remain together for any length of time as they are able to launch Monk's compositions into some fairly significant places. Johnny Griffin's aggressive performance style incorporates a lyrical and melodic undertone perfectly complementing Monk's sporadic inflections. "Coming On the Hudson" features Griffin weaving his magic around the melody while providing a decisive Coltrane-esque counterpoint to which Monk precariously locates his responses. The intensity of "Rhythm-A-Ning" lifts the whole combo after quickly developing the chorus. Griffin builds line upon melodic line, after which Monk responds in kind by adding distinct punctuations of his own. So powerful is Griffin's onslaught, Monk can be heard indicating more than once that Griffin should indulge in another verse. After a ragged but right beginning, "Evidence" becomes transcendental with Griffin, Monk, Malik, and Haynes -- who is frenetically brilliant throughout -- diving into solos which envelop the melody and ultimately expand the unique patterns and motivations. The CD reissue contains a supplementary (if not definitive) take of "In Walked Bud" from an earlier live recording session that is available in its entirety on the Complete Riverside Recordings box set. ---Lindsay Planer, AllMusic Review

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Early Show	
1		Monk's Mood	7:52
2		Evidence	4:41
3		Crepuscule With Nellie	4:26
4		Nutty	5:03
5		Epistrophy	4:29

Late Show	
6		Bye-Ya	6:31
7		Sweet And Lovely	9:34
8		Blue Monk	6:31
9		Epistrophy (Incomplete)	2:24

Bass – Ahmed Abdul-Malik
Drums – Shadow Wilson
Piano – Thelonious Monk
Tenor Saxophone – John Coltrane

Recorded on November 29, 1957 by Voice of America at Carnegie Hall, New York City.

Larry Appelbaum, the recording lab supervisor at the Library of Congress, came across this tape by accident while transferring the library's tape archive to digital. What a find. Forget the Five Spot recording that sounds like it was recorded inside of a tunnel from the far end. The sound here is wonderfully present and contemporary. More importantly, this band -- which also included drummer Shadow Wilson and bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik -- had it right on November 29, 1957, at Carnegie Hall. The John Coltrane on this date is far more assured than he had been four months earlier on the Five Spot date and on the initial Prestige side Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane. He'd been with Monk for four months and had absorbed his complex, multivalent musical system completely. It's clear from the opening track, "Monk's Mood," where the pair play in duet, that Coltrane is confident and moving into his own. Monk feels that confidence with his nearly Baroque entrance on the tune. This is a hard-swinging band with two front-line players who know how to get the best from one another. Coltrane knows the music inside out and his solos reflect an early version of his sheets of sound methodology. Check the joyous "Crepuscule with Nellie" for the hard evidence. Coltrane's cue and Monk's arpeggios are wondrous, swinging, and full of fire and joy. Trane's fills on the melody that leads into his solo are simply revelatory, and the solo itself is brilliant. Or check Wilson's cymbal work on "Nutty" before the band kicks it in full force. Even on the knottiest of Monk's tunes, "Epistrophy," Trane shines and takes charge of his instrument while being utterly receptive to the continual shape-shifting Monk put into his compositions in a live setting. There are nine tunes here (an incomplete version of "Epistrophy" finishes the set) taken from early and late performances. These 51 minutes of music leave the Live at the Five Spot date in the dust. This is one of those "historic" recordings that becomes an instant classic and is one of the truly great finds in jazz lore. It documents a fine band with its members at the peak of their powers together. The package also contains voluminous liner notes by the likes of Ira Gitler, Amiri Baraka, Ashley Khan, Stanley Crouch, and others. This is a must-have. ---Thom Jurek, AllMusic Review

Let's be clear from the start: this discovery of a new Monk/Coltrane live concert completely puts to shame the over-hyped Five Spot CD from years ago. Not only is the sound as sterling and clear as the sound on the Five Spot date was excretory, but the performances of the stars are light years beyond that muddy recording.

There is a sense that both Monk and Coltrane knew they were going to make history in 1957 at Carnegie Hall, and it's palpable from the opening notes of "Monk's Mood. Monk sounds grandly baroque in summoning grandly cascading arpeggios from his piano (which sounds infinitely better than the junk pianos he was often saddled with), while Coltrane sounds immensely assured.

To really savor Coltrane's performances, begin by listening to the studio session with Monk currently listed in the Fantasy catalog (Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane). Then listen to the Five Spot recording, and then this new discovery.

During the studio date, Coltrane sounds remarkably reserved, perhaps too star-struck still, as he was on his session with Duke Ellington, to do very much but hang on for the ride. The Five Spot recording has Coltrane sounding looser, particularly on "In Walked Bud, but the recording sounds like it was recorded at the wrong end of a mine shaft, and much of what Coltrane played has to be imagined. Coltrane at Carnegie Hall with Monk is a man certain of his own voice while not afraid of showing his roots, clear-thinking, wonderfully focused, in tune with Monk's logic, simpatico with the rhythm section. A case could be built that this is the finest Coltrane recording before the historic Atlantic and Impulse sessions.

High points among Coltrane's solos abound, but my favorites are on "Nutty, with some wild cross-conversations between Coltrane and Monk going on, and "Sweet and Lovely, which Coltrane gooses into a galloping romp, clearly revealing his roots in early Dexter Gordon. The only dull patch for me is his lackluster accompaniment to "Crepuscule With Nellie, which was never about Coltrane anymore than Nellie was. It was Monk's showcase, regardless of who accompanied him.

On to Monk. After the grand opening gestures, he continues with buoyant, hyper-kinetic interpretations of "Evidence, "Epistrophy" (two versions, the complete one perhaps the better of the two for Monk, the incomplete one more of a Coltrane showpiece), and "Blue Monk. Very familiar fare, but toyed with harmonically and rhythmically as only Monk could do on a good night, and this was. Drummer Shadow Wilson was no Art Blakey, whom I always thought of as Monk's most apt drummer, but he respectably kept the band churning, along with rock-steady bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik.

The only flaw, and a minor one at that, is the heavy set of liner notes by five different hands. Only Lewis Porter really says something that deepens appreciation of this lovely recording. Amiri Baraka and Stanley Crouch pass beyond self-parody. I suggest that their future liner notes be published as e-books, though even that format might not accommodate their stadium-sized egos.

This is, though Woody Allen hated the phrase, "jazz heaven". ---Norman Weinstein, allaboutjazz.com

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(1) Ruby, My Dear 
(2) Trinkle, Tinkle 
(3) Off Minor 
(4) Nutty 
(5) Epistrophy 
(6) Functional

Art Blakey 	Drums
John Coltrane 	Sax (Tenor)
Ray Copeland 	Trumpet
Gigi Gryce 	Sax (Alto)
Coleman Hawkins 	Sax (Tenor)
Thelonious Monk 	Piano
Wilbur Ware 	Bass
Shadow Wilson 	Drums

Universally regarded as one of the greatest collaborations between the two most influential musicians in modern jazz (Miles Davis notwithstanding), the Jazzland sessions from Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane should be recognized on other levels. While the mastery of the principals is beyond reproach, credit should also be given to peerless bassist Wilbur Ware, as mighty an anchor as anyone could want. These 1957 dates also sport a variety in drummerless trio, quartet, septet, or solo piano settings, all emphasizing the compelling and quirky compositions of Monk. A shouted-out, pronounced "Off Minor" and robust, three-minute "Epistrophy" with legendary saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Gigi Gryce, and the brilliant, underappreciated trumpeter Ray Copeland are hallmark tracks that every jazz fan should revere. Of the four quartet sessions, the fleet "Trinkle Tinkle" tests Coltrane's mettle, as he's perfectly matched alongside Monk, but conversely unforced during "Nutty" before taking off. Monk's solo piano effort, "Functional," is flavored with blues, stride, and boogie-woogie, while a bonus track, "Monk's Mood," has a Monk-Ware-Coltrane tandem (minus drummer Shadow Wilson) back for an eight-minute excursion primarily with Monk in a long intro, 'Trane in late, and Ware's bass accents booming through the studio. This will always be an essential item standing proudly among unearthed live sessions from Monk and Coltrane, demarcating a pivotal point during the most significant year in all types of music, from a technical and creative standpoint, but especially the jazz of the immediate future. ---Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic Review

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A1 	Brilliant Corners 	7:45
A2 	Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are 	13:07
B1 	Pannonica 	8:50
B2 	I Surrender, Dear 	5:27
B3 	Bemsha Swing 	7:40

Alto Saxophone – Ernie Henry (tracks: A1 to B1)
Bass – Oscar Pettiford (tracks: A1 to B1), Paul Chambers (tracks: B3)
Celesta – Thelonious Monk (tracks: B1)
Drums – Max Roach (tracks: A1 to B1, B3)
Piano – Thelonious Monk
Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Rollins (tracks: A1 to B1, B3)
Trumpet – Clark Terry (tracks: B3)

Although Brilliant Corners is Thelonious Monk's third disc for Riverside, it's the first on the label to weigh in with such heavy original material. Enthusiasts who become jaded to the idiosyncratic nature of Monk's playing or his practically arithmetical chord progressions should occasionally revisit Brilliant Corners. There is an inescapable freshness and vitality saturated into every measure of every song. The passage of time makes it all the more difficult to imagine any other musicians bearing the capacity to support Monk with such ironic precision. The assembled quartet for the lion's share of the sessions included Max Roach (percussion), Sonny Rollins (tenor sax), Oscar Pettiford (bass), and Ernie Henry (alto sax). Although a compromise, the selection of Miles Davis' bassist, Paul Chambers, and Clark Terry (trumpet) on "Bemsha Swing" reveals what might be considered an accident of ecstasy, as they provide a timeless balance between support and being able to further the cause musically. Likewise, Roach's timpani interjections supply an off-balanced sonic surrealism while progressing the rhythm in and out of the holes provided by Monk's jackrabbit leads. It's easy to write Monk's ferocity and Forrest Gump-esque ingenuity off as gimmick or quirkiness. What cannot be dismissed is Monk's ability to translate emotions into the language of music, as in the freedom and abandon he allows through Sonny Rollins' and Max Roach's mesmerizing solos in "Brilliant Corners." The childlike innocence evoked by Monk's incorporation of the celeste during the achingly beautiful ode "Pannonica" raises the emotional bar several degrees. Perhaps more pointed, however, is the impassioned "I Surrender, Dear" -- the only solo performance on the album. Brilliant Corners may well be considered the alpha and omega of post-World War II American jazz. No serious jazz collection should be without it. ---Lindsay Planer, AllMusic Review

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