Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk's third album for Riverside was a good bit more adventurous than his first two, which were designed to make him a little more accessible. Lining up Sonny Rollins on tenor sax and Ernie Henry on alto, with drummer Max Roach and bassist Oscar Pettiford, everything seemed like it would fall into place. But as producer and liner note writer Orrin Keepnews explained, some of Monk's compositions were difficult, especially "Brilliant Corners," which given the lack of rehearsal necessitated that multiple takes be spliced together, though the result is clearly worth the effort. Monk's new blues "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" has a jaunty air in its extended debut. "Pannonica" features the novelty of Monk doubling on piano and celeste, as the latter instrument was available in the studio and inspired him to add it on the spot. On the final session, which produced "Bemsha Swing," Henry is replaced by trumpeter Clark Terry and Pettiford (who proved to be difficult during the first session) by Paul Chambers, with Roach adding timpani to his drum kit. This reissue in the Keepnews Collection series adds a previously unissued opening chorus from "Pannonica," though it is not a complete take. Keepnews' new reflections on these sessions, over half a century after they were recorded, add to the value of this expanded CD reissue. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide