Three Classic Albums Plus (The Unique Thelonious Monk / At Town Hall / 5 By Monk By 5)

Three classic Thelonious Monk albums plus, including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD. 'The Unique Thelonious Monk'; 'At Town Hall'; '5 By Monk By 5'; Plus five tracks from Newport 1958. Hold the front page….'The Unique Thelonious Monk'…….Monk plays the standards………….in a very Monkish style of course! As described in the original liner notes……….'this album is concerned with well known songs by some pretty fair craftsmen….Gershwin, Rodgers, Waller and Youmans to name a few. The choice of repertoire is Monk's and in just about all cases he has also chosen to take advantage of the roominess of the LP giving himself time to develop and expand some very intriguing ideas'. Hold another front page…..'At Town Hall'…….Monk with an Orchestra! An idea he had been considering for some time comes to fruition at New York Town Hall in 1959. Monk's chosen musicians include some great jazz names such as Donald Byrd, Phil Woods, Charlie Rouse, Pepper Adams, Sam Jones and Art Taylor….all chosen for their proven ability to interpret Monk's music and crucially to be able to 'become a solid unit rather than for individual virtuosity' (although many do get to solo, as you will hear!). Kicking off the liner notes to '5 by Monk by 5' we read 'this is a quintet album in its fullest sense', Monk using his regular touring quartet with the crucial addition of Thad Jones on cornet. It features two new Monk songs designed for the inclusion of Jones's cornet in the line up, plus three re-workings of older material. All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered.