Monk's Music

Monk's Music
File:Monkmusic.jpg
Studio album by Thelonious Monk
Released	1957
Recorded	June 26, 1957 New York City
Genre	Jazz
Length	38:24
Label	Riverside Records RLP 12-242
Producer	Orrin Keepnews
Thelonious Monk chronology
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1957)Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk1957 Monk's Music (1957) Mulligan Meets Monk (1957)Mulligan Meets Monk1957

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Allmusic
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide

Monk's Music is an album by Thelonious Monk's jazz septet. It was recorded in New York on June 26, 1957, and released in the same year.

Recording and music

The first song "Abide With Me"—a hymn by W. H. Monk—is an austere rendition played only by the septet's horn section. The song "Ruby, My Dear" is performed only by Monk, Coleman Hawkins, Wilbur Ware, and Art Blakey. John Coltrane had joined Monk after playing with the Miles Davis Quintet, and Monk can be heard enthusiastically calling on him to take the first horn solo on the album in "Well, You Needn't" (though Coltrane's name does not appear on the front cover). All of the songs except one are original compositions by Thelonious Monk, but some had appeared on previous albums by Monk.

The two mixes of this album (stereo and mono) are notable in that they used entirely different setups of microphones, recording the same performances. The stereo mix was recorded using microphones at a greater distance from the band, and therefore has a distinctly different sound from the mono mix.

Reception

The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

Re-releases

The album was reissued by Original Jazz Classics on July 1, 1991.

Track listing

All songs by Thelonious Monk unless otherwise noted.

Side A

1. "Abide with Me" (Henry Francis Lyte, William Henry Monk) – 0:54
2. "Well, You Needn't" – 11:24
3. "Ruby, My Dear" – 5:26

Side B

1. "Off Minor" – 5:07
2. "Epistrophy" (Monk, Kenny Clarke) – 10:46
3. "Crepuscule With Nellie" – 4:38

CD reissue

1. "Abide With Me" – 0:54
2. "Well, You Needn't" – 11:24
3. "Ruby, My Dear" – 5:26
4. "Off Minor (Take 5)" – 5:07
5. "Off Minor (Take 4)" – 5:12
6. "Epistrophy" – 10:46
7. "Crepuscule With Nellie (Take 6)" – 4:38
8. "Crepuscule With Nellie (Take 4 and 5)" – 4:43

Original Jazz Classics Remasters

1. "Abide With Me" – 0:54
2. "Well, You Needn't" – 11:24
3. "Ruby, My Dear" – 5:26
4. "Off Minor (Take 5)" – 5:07
5. "Epistrophy" – 10:46
6. "Crepuscule with Nellie (Take 6)" – 4:38
7. "Off Minor (Take 4)" – 5:12
8. "Crepuscule with Nellie (Takes 4 and 5)" – 4:43
9. "Blues for Tomorrow" – 13:32

Personnel

• Thelonious Monk – piano
• Ray Copeland – trumpet
• Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
• Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
• John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
• Wilbur Ware – double bass
• Art Blakey – drums
• Orrin Keepnews – production
• Jack Higgins – recording engineering
• Kirk Felton – digital remastering
• Paul Weller – cover photography
• Paul Bacon – cover design

External links

• John Coltrane discography
• Monk's records