Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 04/01/2008
There is really no one quite like
Thelonious Monk in the whole history of
jazz music. His compositional style, much like his odd, fractured, and angular piano playing, was deceptively simple and repetitive, full of endlessly circular progressions that seemed to almost intersect themselves at whim, ending up more like auditory puzzle boxes than anything resembling a
jazz standard. This wonderful two-disc set, drawn from his time at the
Blue Note and
Prestige labels between 1952 and 1956, provides a varied introduction to this enigmatic genius. Track after track affirms
Monk's uniqueness. Take his version here of
"Just a Gigolo," where his angular, dissonant piano lines restructure and reassemble the melody into a halting, delicate, and poignant mini-masterpiece, demonstrating
Monk's uncanny ability to adapt
standards into his own eccentric space. Brilliant stuff.
~Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
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