The Thelonious Monk Quartet: The Complete Columbia Studio Albums brings together the most popular of Monk's recordings of the period, including Monk's Dream (1962), Criss Cross (1962), It's Monk's Time (1964), Monk (1964), Straight, No Chaser (1966) and Underground (1967); albums that found the influential and iconoclastic pianist and composer collaborating with one of the most sympathetic interpreters of his lyrical and thorny music, the tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse. While Monk had been acknowledged by fellow musicians as one of the linchpins of modern jazz, it wasn't until he signed with Columbia Records that he achieved considerable popular recognition. His albums sold widely, his quartet became a considerable live attraction and, amazingly enough, he found himself on the cover of Time Magazine in early 1964. This comprehensive six CD set also boasts a beautifully designed booklet filled with previously unseen photos capturing Monk and his musicians at the historic recording sessions.
CD1 - Monk's Dream (1962)
CD2 - Criss-Cross (1963)
CD3 - It's Monk's Time (1964)
CD4 - Monk. (1964)
CD5 - Straight, No Chaser (1967)
CD6 - Underground (1968)
CD1 - Monk's Dream (1962) {73:20}
01. Monk's Dream - 6:28
02. Body and Soul - 4:31
03. Bright Mississippi - 8:38
04. Blues Five Spot - 3:16
05. Blue Bolivar Blues - 7:33
06. Just a Gigolo - 2:29
07. Bye-Ya - 5:24
08. Sweet and Lovely - 7:57
09. Monk's Dream (take 3) - 5:16
10. Body and Soul (take 1) - 5:12
11. Bright Mississippi (take 3) - 10:24
12. Blue Bolivar Blues (take 1) - 6:12
CD2 - Criss-Cross (1963) {62:49}
01. Hackensack - 4:15
02. Tea for Two - 3:49
03. Criss Cross - 4:43
04. Eronel - 4:32
05. Rhythm-A-Ning - 3:55
06. Don't Blame Me (retake 1) - 7:07
07. Think of One - 6:07
08. Crepuscule with Nellie - 2:48
09. Pannonica (take 2) - 6:47
10. Coming on the Hudson (take 3) - 7:33
11. Tea for Two (take 9) - 5:14
12. Eronel (take 3) - 5:59
CD3 - It's Monk's Time (1964) {62:24}
01. Lulu's Back in Town - 9:57
02. Memories of You - 6:08
03. Stuffy Turkey - 8:13
04. Brake's Sake - 12:28
05. Nice Work If You Can Get It (take 3) - 4:17
06. Shuffle Boil (retake) - 7:10
07. Epistrophy (take 1) - 5:09
08. Nice Work If You Can Get It (take 2) - 4:11
09. Shuffle Boil (take 5) - 4:51
CD4 - Monk. (1964) {68:42}
01. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) - 4:39
02. April in Paris (take 6) - 8:01
03. Children's Song (That Old Man) - 4:57
04. I Love You (Sweetheart of All My Dreams) - 6:47
05. Just You, Just Me - 8:44
06. Pannonica (retake 2) - 9:05
07. Teo - 5:26
08. April in Paris (take 1) - 8:22
09. Pannonica (take 2) - 6:44
10. Medley: Just You, Just Me/Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) - 5:57
CD5 - Straight, No Chaser (1967) {76:06}
01. Locomotive - 6:40
02. I Didn't Know About You - 6:53
03. Straight, No Chaser - 11:29
04. Japanese Folk Song (Kojo no Tsuki) - 16:43
05. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea - 7:37
06. We See - 11:38
07. This Is My Story, This Is My Song - 1:42
08. I Didn't Know About You - 6:50
09. Green Chimneys - 6:34
CD6 - Underground (1968) {71:24}
01. Thelonious (take 1) - 3:17
02. Ugly Beauty (take 5) - 10:47
03. Raise Four - 7:02
04. Boo Boo's Birthday (take 11) - 5:58
05. Easy Street - 7:52
06. Green Chimneys - 13:12
07. In Walked Bud - 6:50
08. Ugly Beauty (take 4) - 7:39
09. Boo Boo's Birthday (take 2) - 5:36
10. Thelonious (take 3) - 3:11
