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Album of the Day: Monk's Music - Thelonius Monk

Monk's Music (1957) - Thelonius Monk

I'm not much of in the way of an audiophile collector type--that path leads to death and madness, especially with an interest in recording madmen like Sun Ra. If I were the type, I'd track down the mono and stereo vinyls of Monk's Music. Released in 1957, the studio where Monk's legendary septet performed hadn't converted to a stereo recording space, so the musicians found themselves overburdened with microphones. Mono mics stood on the floor and stereo mics were suspended from the ceiling. Let that sync in--the mono and stereo versions used different sets of mics, creating entirely different sounds.

Different sounds of a Septet including Monk, John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, and Art Blakey. While not featured on each track, they all feature prominently on "Well, You Needn't" where every solo begs you to stop whatever the fuck you're doing and listen. If you want to turn someone on to jazz, this could very well be the cut to do so. On the same track, Monk shouting "Coltrane! Coltrane!" before the saxophonist's solo sends chills down the spine every fucking time. Coltrane was fresh from Miles' quintet, and his name's not even featured on the cover. The honors go to Hawkins, Blakey, and Gigi Gryce.

Label: Riverside Records

Track for monthly playlist: "Well, You Needn't"

Listen: https://music.apple.com/us/album/monks-music-remastered/1440565683
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