Thelonious Monk - The Early Albums 1951-54 - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Thelonious Monk was one of the most innovative and influential of the pioneering bebop pianists and composers with a uniquely distinctive and idiosyncratic style characterised by an angular, percussive and occasionally dissonant approach. He came to the fore in the 1940s, so when the era of the vinyl long-playing album dawned in the 1950s, he was ideally placed to take advantage of it. This 38-track 2-CD collection comprises the titles from his first 10Inch LPs on Blue Note and Prestige. The first two on Blue Note, Inch, InchGenius Of Modern Music Vols. 1 & 2Inch, combine titles from sessions in the late '40s which were released as singles with some from 1951 sessions, while the Prestige titles from the albums InchTheloniousInch, InchThelonious Monk Quintet Blows for LPInch, InchThelonious Monk QuintetInch and InchThelonious Monk PlaysInch, were conceived as album projects, featuring extended performances, for which dedicate sessions were done from 1952 through to 1954. We also include bonus titles from a solo session in Paris in 1954. It features performances in the various Trio, Quartet, Quintet and Sextet line-ups with noted musicians of the day, including Gene Ramey, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Gary Mapp, Art Blakey, Max Roach, Percy Heath, Al McKibbon, Ray Copeland, Frank Foster, Curley Russell and more. It's a set which captures one of the true greats of the genre at a key period of his career. Album Tracks 1. 'Round About Midnight 2. Off Minor 3. Ruby My Dear 4. I Mean You 5. Thelonious 6. Epistrophy 7. Well You Needn't 8. Misterioso 9. Four in One 10. Who Knows 11. Nice Work If You Can Get It 12. In Walked Bud 13. Humph 14. Straight No Chaser 15. Suburban Eyes 16. Ask Me Now 17. Little Rootie Tootie 18. Sweet and Lovely 19. Bye-Ya 20. Monk's Dream 21. Trinkle Tinkle 22. These Foolish Things 23. Bemsha Swing 2