Thelonious Monk Paris 1959

With his odd rhythmic spacing, discordant resolves and his circular yet angular compositional style, Thelonious Monk remains one of the most singular figures in all of jazz, and virtually every one of his recordings is as enigmatic as the pianist himself was. This set combines his five albums for Columbia Records, 1962's Criss Cross and Monk's Dream, 1964's Solo Monk, 1966's Straight, No Chaser, and 1967's Underground, in a single package, and anyone thinking Monk wasn't as vital during those years really needs to hear this stuff. It's classic Monk, and this collection is a great way to get it in a single swoop.

In 1961, Thelonious Monk and his quartet toured Europe, producing a series of live albums for various labels. The First European Concert, as well as recordings of Monk in Paris, Italy, Bern, Copenhagen, and Stockholm all date from that year. The performances drew almost exclusively from a body of the pianist's best-loved original material, and Monk in France is no exception. While his playing here is less energized than it can be, Monk's singular philosophy is well intact. The pianist's lines are sparse and fluid. Characteristically, he maps out only the necessary notes in his off-kilter melodies, building solos from perfectly balanced melodic/rhythmic motifs. The European touring lineup is completed by drummer Frankie Dunlop, bassist John Ore, and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse…

Thelonious Monk - San Francisco Holiday (1992) {Milestone MCD-9199-2 rec 1958-1961}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 417 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 165 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 10 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1958-61, 1992 Milestone Records / Fantasy / Universal | MCD-9199-2 / 0025218919920
Jazz / Bop / Post Bop / Piano

Previously unavailable these tracks, gathered together from four different concert sources, are collected here for the first time on one CD. The first cuts, from a '59 show at New York City's Town Hall, feature extremely energetic performances on three of Monk's best known pieces: "In Walked Bud," "Blue Monk" and "Rhythm-a-Ning" (with a tremendous tenor sax solo by Charlie Rouse, fragmented, lyrical keyboard essays by Monk and a fine, layered solo by beatkeeper Arthur Taylor).

This Collectables reissue combines two post-R&B-era Big Joe Turner Atlantic sides, Big Joe Is Here and Joe Turner Rides Again, originally released in 1959 and 1960, respectively. The focus here is on the jazzy blues side of Turner's career, closer to Kansas City jazz and traditional pop than his pioneering R&B hits. Alongside a few tracks penned by Turner, he tackles several standards, including "Time After Time," "Pennies From Heaven," "Until the Real Thing Comes Along," and "I Get the Blues When It Rains."