* The "4000" series starts with 4001 ("Newk's Time" by Sonny Rollins, released in mono in 1958, stereo, 1959, the year of the first Blue Note stereo releases), and peters out about 400 releases later, (although as noted things get very spotty after around 4250). The early releases in this series are reissues of earliier 10" releases primarily from the early 50's, including records by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Bud Powell and others. * The "1500" series commenced in 1955, with catalogue numbers starting at 1501, and running through 1600, released in 1958. * The "1200" series consists of 8 records by either Sidney Bechet or George Lewis, reissuing earlier 78 and 10 inch releases. Some tidbits about BN (stolen from microgroove - ): * link to originals and cross check titles A stab at the horrible Blue Note mess: The What The Fuck Serie:īN 1558: maybe this is a typo for BLP 1558, Sonny Rollins, Volume 2īlue Note 28263: "Straight, No Chaser" ?wtf?Ħ6119/66120 Blue Note Japan 2006 ? Complete Genius?
* punch in and mark discIDs for the boxes I have. * Big Band and Quartet (original release) Going through the Columbia vaults: preliminary documentation work up to (included) It's Monk's Time. Tyding notes:Īll albums "quickly" verified as "album" and marked with the label name.Īdditionally, all "complete X" compilation are all good. The Master Planīe the #1 resource on Thelonious Monk recordings, and actually outperform best-of-breed disco informations provided by the labels in their complete boxset releases. Also needed: ground work on the late live period (bootleg knowledge could help), and the early recordings (inc. For those who have never experienced the brilliance of one of jazz's most distinct stylists, The Best of Thelonious Monk is a grand place to start.If anybody wants to help tidying this, pick your poison (either the Riverside, Prestige or Blue Note catalogs) and jump in. But while Monk's music was always difficult, he - like Charles Mingus - never forgot to write intriguing melodies. His solos on "Well, You Needn't" and "Brilliant Corners" range between mathematically precise to abstract, spinning precise patterns and then drifting freely. There's a tremendous 11-minute take on "Well, You Needn't" and a nice interpretation of Duke Ellington's "Caravan." As this disc plainly shows, Monk's writing and piano style was beautifully idiosyncratic, and quite unlike anything else at the time or since.
Monk's joined by a who's who list of modern jazz greats including saxophonist John Coltrane, drummer Art Blakey, and tenor Sonny Rollins for trios, quartets, quintets, and sextets. But why shouldn't a newcomer to the works of Monk have one great disc to draw him or her in? The Best of Thelonious Monk accomplishes just that, compiling pieces from the above mentioned albums, live tracks, and even a lovely solo version of the pianist's best-known piece, "'Round Midnight." The disc is packed - with one exception - with Monk's compositions, thus introducing the novice to all aspects of his work. Such a package, for instance, could only hint at the riches of an album like Brilliant Corners and Monk's Music. Offering a "best-of" package from Thelonious Monk is a daunting task, even if the compiler sticks to his Riverside material between 19.