There are so many Monk albums I’m after. Several are on Riverside like this one on display. He is criminally under-represented on my shelves. I’ve dived into his Riverside discography more in depth as of late. There are some brilliant albums there to enjoy. I’ve always been fond of his unique playing style, so exploring his discography should have been a top priority throughout the years. I’ve focused on other artists I guess. But I’m making up for lost time by trying to zoom in on his Riverside stuff to begin with, and I’ve found plenty of great titles that I’m aiming to find. I have the iconic “Brilliant Corners” which I acquired several years ago. Now that’s a wonderful album.
“5 by Monk by 5” is a lovely outing which features the legendary pianist playing together with some great cats; Thad Jones on the cornet, Charlie Rouse on tenor, Sam Jones on double bass and Art Taylor on drums. Pretty stellar line-up. Love the cornet sound of Thad Jones and nice to hear him together with Monk as a sideman. Charlie Rouse is another cat I enjoy a lot and will explore more in depth. He released a title on the Epic label for example which I’ve been after for a long time.
Favorite picks from this session will be “Jackie-ing”, “Straight, No Chaser” and “Ask Me Now”, which features a beautiful solo by Rouse. Highly recommended album.
Have a great Sunday!