Despite various reissue formats over several decades, the seven original LPs contained in Thelonious Monk -- The Riverside Tenor Sessions stood perfectly well on their own at the time of initial release and remain among the highest achievements of a truly golden age. Recorded and released between 1956 and 1961, these seven Monk combo albums were critical in Monk's emergence from a decade of ridicule and neglect to his status at the pinnacle of the jazz pantheon. In addition to some of his best recorded piano performances and more than two dozen of his profoundly personal compositions, these albums provide an overview of the era's major tenor saxophonists, with contributions by Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse and Harold Land. Max Roach, Art Blakely, Roy Haynes and Thad Jones are among the other jazz immortals featured on the essential Brilliant Corners, Monk's Music, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, Thelonious in Action, Misterioso, 5 by Monk by 5 and Quartet Plus Two at the Blackhawk. Like the Miles Davis quintet records contained in Analogue Productions' Miles Davis Quintet: The Prestige Recordings, these Monk albums are among the pinnacle of the LP art -- and they have never sounded better.
CD1 - Brilliant Corners (1956) {43:03}
01. Brilliant Corners (Monk) - 7:47
02. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are (Monk) - 13:12
03. Pannonica (Monk) - 8:52
04. I Surrender, Dear (Clifford-Barris) - 5:30
05. Bemsha Swing (Monk-Best) - 7:42
Thelonious Monk - piano, celeste (#3)
Ernie Henry - alto saxophone (#1-3)
Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone (#1-3,5)
Clark Terry - trumpet (#5)
Oscar Pettiford (#1-3), Paul Chambers (#5) - bass
Max Roach - drums (#1-3,5), tympani (#5)
Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York City on October 9 (#2,3), October 15 (#1) and December 7 (#4,5), 1956.
CD2 - Monk's Music (1957) {38:29}
01. Abide with Me (Lyte-Monk) - 0:55
02. Well, You Needn't (Monk) - 11:28
03. Ruby, My Dear (Monk) - 5:29
04. Off Minor (Monk) - 5:11
05. Epistrophy (Monk) - 10:49
06. Crepescule with Nellie (Monk) - 4:38
Thelonious Monk - piano
Ray Copeland - trumpet
Gigi Gryce - alto saxophone
Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Wilbur Ware - bass
Art Blakey - drums
Recorded in New York on June 26, 1957.
CD3 - Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (1957) {37:50}
01. Ruby, My Dear (Monk) - 6:21
02. Trinkle, Tinkle (Monk) - 6:41
03. Off Minor (Monk) - 5:16
04. Nutty (Monk) - 6:39
05. Epistrophy (Monk) - 3:10
06. Functional (Monk) - 9:43
Thelonious Monk - piano
John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins (#3,5) - tenor saxophone
Ray Copeland - trumpet (#3,5)
Gigi Gryce - alto saxophone (#3,5)
Wilbur Ware - bass
Shadow Wilson (#1,2,4), Art Blakey (#3,5) - drums
Recorded in New York in April-July, 1957.
CD4 - Thelonious in Action (1958) {39:38}
01. Light Blue (Monk) - 5:15
02. Coming on the Hudson (Monk) - 5:25
03. Rhythm-a-ning (Monk)/Epistrophy (theme) (Monk) - 10:33
04. Blue Monk (Monk) - 8:31
05. Evidence (Monk) - 8:49
06. Epistrophy (theme) (Monk) - 1:06
Thelonious Monk - piano
Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone
Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass
Roy Haynes - drums
Recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe, New York on August 7, 1958.
CD5 - Misterioso (1958) {47:23}
01. Nutty (Monk) - 5:24
02. Blues Five Spot (Monk) - 8:16
03. Let's Cool One (Monk) - 9:18
04. In Walked Bud (Monk) - 11:23
05. Just a Gigolo (Caesar-Casucci) - 2:08
06. Misterioso (Monk) - 10:54
Thelonious Monk - piano
Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone
Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass
Roy Haynes - drums
Recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe, New York on August 7, 1958.
CD6 - 5 by Monk by 5 (1959) {44:20}
01. Jackie-ing (Monk) - 6:11
02. Straight, No Chaser (Monk) - 9:26
03. Played Twice (Monk) - 8:03
04. I Mean You (Monk) - 9:53
05. Ask Me Now (Monk) - 10:48
Thelonious Monk - piano
Thad Jones - cornet
Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
Sam Jones - bass
Art Taylor - drums
Recorded in New York on June 1-2, 1959.
CD7 - At the Blackhawk (1960) {45:51}
01. Let's Call This (Monk) - 8:34
02. Four in One (Monk) - 8:42
03. I'm Getting Sentimental over You (Washington-Bassman) - 6:15
04. Worry Later (Monk) - 9:11
05. 'Round Midnight (Monk-Williams) - 12:08
06. Epistrophy (closing theme) (Monk) - 1:00
Thelonious Monk - piano
Charlie Rouse - tenor saxophone
John Ore - bass
Billy Higgins - drums
Joe Gordon - trumpet
Harold Land - tenor saxophone
Recorded live at The Blackhawk, San Francisco on April 29, 1960.
