Brilliant Corners

6/10

3/5, idk

Cool jazz!

Off course it's great..he's one of the greats...

Hated it

hope it'll be a good listen, was good but not a 5 thats owing to his sucessors

Nice.

It get's a bit boring after a while

Conjunción de artistas con instrumentos de aire y acompañados de otros, como piano. Todo instrumental. Nada de vocal. Para escuchar en un ambiente íntimo y relajado

Jazz records are still eluding me. I understand why one would want to go see jazz performed, but I'm not sure why people want to sit and listen to jazz records. I've heard of Thelonious Monk enough to know he's gospel to the jazz world. This is another album I am sure I heard on repeat in a Starbucks in the early 2000s when I was studying for college exams. It's all good. I mean, nothing to hate here - just background music for sure. Also reminds me of Ryan Gosling's character in La La Land.

Really great example of a great jazz album. Bad jazz is probably the worst music there is but great jazz is the best, and this is undeniably great.

Dinner party, suits and ties, martinis, and a view of New York City. This is the soundtrack.

One's reaction to the piano playing is the key determinant when it comes to Brilliant Corners. The opening number is less than convincing, but establishes the meandering style and the basic form used. That form is best-worked-out during the second, longer cut. Monk provides off-kilter tunes which the band wanders through, in several configurations. It's not obviously dense music, but the ingredients are all there. The rhythm section ties the work together for me, with the double bass standing out as melody.

A set of complex pieces for tenor saxophone, notably Brilliant Corners and Pannonica, in which Monk played both piano and celeste. This was to remain his masterpiece. (8/10) FT: Brilliant Corners

Good Jazz. Would recommend. Favorites: Brilliant Corners, Pannonica, I Surrender, Dear

I don't like this style of jazz.

Don’t know why, but I was never able to get in sync with Monk’s music, not to the same level I dig many of his compatriots.

Easy, peaceful, melodious Thelonious at his finest.

6 stars

6/10

Pannonica was a standout track. The whole album was super enjoyable to listen to. I'm glad that this finally gave me an excuse to sit down and listen to a Thelonious Monk album

I love the name but it was the sort of album where the racks were indistinguishable from each other. Easy listening, alright

Not in the mood for this today.

5.0 + An amazing touchstone from 1957 that was years ahead of its time. Hard bop at its finest. Warm and wonderfully off-kilter at every turn.

Better than what I had heard from him.

Great album. Will need multiple listens to understand more of the movements and changes.

Don't really know how to speak intelligently about jazz. But I liked this. Highlights: Pannonica; I Surrender, Dear; Bemsha Swing

Nice background music and I get that Thelonious is amazing - just not my listening to music cup of tea

Jazz essentials! Feels like I’m in von maur

Some good jazz music

Excellent, a jazz classic and wonderful!

All I knew about Thelonius Monk was he was a pianist. Quite pleased by the amount of horns. Pretty good. Enjoyed myself

Nice background, need lyrics tho

Can't listen to this without bringing back memories of my grandad.

jAzZ 🤦‍♀️

damn, man...why do the awesome ones have to be so short? i'm not sure i've ever heard a monk album i didn't come to love. this one didn't take long - the guy was gone, but holy crap could he play.

Not one I would ever have just chosen to listen to, but I quite enjoyed it. Look forward to hearing more jazz, and learning more about it

The only Jazz I like is the Queen album.

It's a good sign when you can loop the album and you don't realize that you're listening to a song for a third time.

Mr. Monk is surely an accomplished player but 45 minutes of winding, seemingly groove-phobic, saxophone solo is trying at best. I shouldn't have to work this hard to enjoy listening to a record.

Jazz progression, the abstract of sound is bold, emotional, and thought inspiring. It’s a born talent, a gift. The album was great!,,

Liked it…. Jazz is easy listening

Good old fashioned jazz. For some reason I've always thought Thelonious Monk was a soul/jazz fusion guy from the '90s, but he actually died in the '80s. Anyway, this is great. Love the piano emphasis, as I believe that's Monk's specialty. Good range of emotional soundscapes here, not as stressful to me as the recent Coltrane album somehow. I loved a lot of the tracks here and would gladly return. Favorite tracks: Brilliant Corners (think like a brilliant), I Surrender Dear, Ba-Lue Bolivar, Pannonica. Album art: The five Monks of legend. He seems like a happy guy. I like this, it's much more creative than the typical jazz portrait cover. 4.5/5

Was this an album? I don't know. I liked a lot of the jazz solos, it was very impressive. But I can't see myself coming back to this. I appreciate this because it paved the way for the music that we hear today - but it is very old, very outdated. Impressive, but not exciting. 5/10

I could listen to this album all day. Best in class.

Maybe

Great album, one of my favorite jazz albums. Great tones from all musicians. Interesting Monk melodies. No weak links anywhere.

Not heard before. I don’t really have the tools to “analyse” jazz. I also need to listen multiple times. I enjoyed it enough that I will do so, but can’t really rate it fairly until I have.

Very good and rather challenging.

Not through lack of trying but I just couldn’t get into this. For me the music just didn’t flow, constant change of tempo and beat made the music feel very disjointed.

A real discovery!

Yummy jazz

9/10 great jazz, no complaints other than that I would like some more upbeat tracks. but these slow jams are nice too

I like this a lot. Definitely getting more into the Jazz vibe as I get older..

jazz is boring

Jazz has no logic. I challenge you to remember any melody from any of the songs you just heard...

nahhhh not my thing

Great Monk album. Not totally sure I love Monk. Ended up reading more about Pannonica than much else. I need to run through the lead sheet on Brilliant Corners because I don't understand it as a composition.

One of the frustrating things about listening to Monk is how difficult it was for him to find sympathetic collaborators. Monk invented an entirely new way of approaching rhythm, harmony and melody that few musicians had either the ability or interest to approach on its own terms. The three that came closest were Coltrane, Art Blakey and Wilbur Ware, none of whom is present on this recording. Monk's rhythmic innovation was to break and subdivide rhythms in unexpected ways, while still maintaining swing. His conception of harmony most likely grew out of what would be considered by most to be a liability, his unusually large fingers, which resulted in what were probably initially unintended chord clusters. Genius that Monk was, he incorporated these clusters into his harmonies and melodies, using puckish humor. The problem is that most collaborators came from a time keeping/ changes background, which Monk had largely broken away from, so there was usually an amusing tension in his music between Monk's intentions and his collaborator's inability to grasp or execute them. Apparently, this came to a head with the title tune, which took 25 unsuccessful takes, after which the producers threw in the towel and just cut together the usable parts. These days, Brilliant Corners doesn't sound particularly difficult or esoteric--I've heard it as background music at Starbucks, for goodness sake! But in 1957, it certainly threw these musicians for a loop. They couldn't execute the head worth a damn and when it came to the solos, they tried to impose conventional logic on Monk's structure, which just sounded silly. While drummer Max Roach takes a conventional approach on the form of the tune, he at least gets into the spirit of the thing on his solo. The more conventional tunes fair better. Sonny Rollins makes a game attempt to follow Monk's logic on Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are and actually tackles both Monkian rhythm and harmony on the lovely ballad Pannonica. So far this isn't reading like a rave, but Brilliant Corners succeeds in spite of its flaws. The songs, while being unconventional, are memorable and hummable, one and all. And Monk's playing is undiluted magic. I'll take half a point off because of the sometimes maladroit accompanists--if only Monk had played more often with sympathetic musicians like Art Blakey, Wilbur Ware, and John Coltrane--but this is still a great album.

Legendary

Hated it

Хорош, захотел его на пластинке

Jazz club…nice!

Not exactly easy listening Jazz. It's difficult to listen to and was apparently difficult for the musicians too. You'll get occasional slabs of "standard jazz" but then dissonant notes, weird time signatures will make an appearance. Not for everyone: Best Tracks: Brilliant Corners; Ba-Lue Boliver Ba-Lues-Are; Bemsha Swing

Ok men for langt og kedeligt

This is the kind of jazz I like. Slow, groovy, and you can just chill with it.

Pretty cool.

Jazzy Jeff and the Bum Drum Explosions

Good, relaxing jazz, nice to listen to while doing work. Nothing crazy except for the last one, which I really liked Saved: Bemsha Swing*

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Bemsha Swing Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: I'll give Thelonious this much: he does have a distinctive sound. Title track sounds super complex, I bet music theory nerds go googoogaga over the minor-minor-Aflat-Zmajor nonsense going on. I will stick to saying that yup, this is jazz.

I’m sure this is great. I’ve just never gotten into jazz so it’s hard for me to judge! Seems a bit unfair on both accounts so I’ll give 3 stars

Music from the days when bass and drums had their place, at the back of the stage, and didn't interrupt the main event, which in this case is excellent piano and sax. Sure they pretend to allow bass solos (in Ba-Lue for example) but it's only done as a way to let them get applause specifically directed at them. I'll applaud when I see live jazz and the bass gets the short solo spot but I know, and they know, the applause is really for the work they do the rest if the time keeping the tempo for the principal soloists. The piano and sax work on this album is extraordinary. The title track seems not to follow the mould. There are lots of tempo changes and the parts where the play speeds up must be tricky to pull off. At the end I wouldn't have been surprised if one of them yelled "I got blisters on my fingers" John Lennon style. The drum solo is a little too long for my liking (Some things never change) Listening to I Surrender, Dear makes me wish I could play piano. No instrument can create an all encompassing sound like the piano does and TM hits it out of the park. Pannonica starts like a sound track from a bad movie. To be sure, it picks up with the sax solo. The celeste solo is also cool but only because it's an unusual instrument. It sounds like a xylophone without the speed of play. While interesting, it's best that it does not stay for more than one song since it does not allow the magic that the piano does. Great soloing throughout.

Monk has such a recognizable style on the piano. He sounds clumsy, like he’s mis-hitting the keys. The songs seem to speed up and slow down – sometimes they actually do, as in the title track – but it’s more often the effect of his playing. He’s a great composer and many of his songs have become standards. This is an all-star line-up. I particularly like Sonny Rollins on tenor who is a good replacement for Monk’s go-to guy, Charlie Rouse, who’s timbre I never liked for some reason.

Brilliant corners is simply a brilliant album. Monk's style may be off putting for some with his crunchy dissonant, off kilter dissonant piano playing, but therein also lies his genius. Allstar band. Highlight for me is Bemsha Swing.

bussin

Go Jazz, dock slår det aldrig Miles Davis

Jazz zu bewerten fällt mir schwer. Aber das habe ich sehr gut hören können!

Erkennbar gut aber nicht leicht nachzuvollziehen. War aber auch nicht die Absicht vermute ich

low key jazz band. 2.5/5

Very much enjoyed 3.5/3.7?

Good jazz album.

Love this album

Ya like jazz?

Really chill vibes

This album is incredible. Thelonious is a genius and it’s on full display here. This is the type of album others strive to make. Every track is perfect. But special shoutouts to the opening track (brilliant corners) and the closing track (bemsha swing). This album fits every mood and every emotion. Top tracks Brilliant corners Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are Pannonica I surrender, dear Bemsha Swing

It is not Kind of Blue…but It is essential to jazz.

If I enjoyed hard bop I’d rate it higher.

Good start here. Reminded me a little bit of Miles Davis; had never heard of the album or artist before listening. Enjoyed this immensely.

Easy 4/5

Done.

Nice clarinet work by theo

I listened to this album twice on my walks around the block with my infant, it was a delightful way to enjoy the outside breeze and sunshine. Fave Trax: Bemsha Swing, I Surrender, Dear

I'm surprised I liked a jazz album it was groovy

Sick

A little more big-band than the previous Charles Mingus listen, but still exploratory. No real standout track (Bemsha Swing by a nose), but a nice listen.

Not a Jazz fan overall

I don't care much for jazz. Then the album goes to a folk song for some reason then back to jazz. There's no need to listen to it again.

kinda boring, but good to do work to

Jazz is boring.

A good earlier jazz album

Ya like Jazz?

Brilliant bit of jazz

A good album with a lot of stuff I wouldn’t normally hear.

Awesome jazz album! Very cool that it is from '57.

Brilliant Corners

Driving me crazy trying to figure out how/where I know this title track from. I'm a very passive jazz listener - while it's not my favourite music I still do especially enjoy this particular brand/style (instrumental, jazz-trio type). After two full run-throughs I can see why this is on a top list both because it's eminently listenable, interesting, and I've absolutely heard no less than three of these tracks before. Since I'm basic :P if you like Miles Davis Kind of Blue (nearly everyone has heard at least bits of that) you'll probably like this, although it seems a little more bebop/uptempo. It's quite good, I had this as a solid 3 but I think I'd put this as a 4 as I'll keep this one as something to come back to.

I like Thelonius but he can be a bit hard work. A bit too avante guarde

Has fun moments while being a relaxing ambient listen. Completely instrumental so not an everyday listen, however I enjoyed my time.

Fuck yeah. Finally some jazz. Let's do this. I'm listening to it in the background while I'm working and so far halfway in it's not really grabbing me. I don't know if this is something I'd play a lot on my own tbh. Overall I don't think I'd listen to this again.

4/5 -> Melhores: "I Surrender, Dear" e "Bemsha Swing", mas o álbum todo é muito bom

I liked this one but not sure whether I'll revisit any of the songs again. 3/5 stars

A fine jazz record but Monk’s piano is the only thing that really makes it great. Not really getting the hype

Thank God that's over with. I feel inadequate just saying it, but really, what's it about? It seems to me to be the jazz equivalent of guitar shredding. No doubt technically amazing, but utterly useless to listen to. Music only to those actually playing it. Fret-wanking (or the sax/drum/piano version). Sorry, but the emperor's wearing no clothes.

I'm not normally one for jazz in general, but I really loved the atmosphere of this album. Perhaps because if the summer weather and it was the perfect soundtrack.

This jazzy bop type of album is great to put on in the background, but it's not my type of music so it didn't appeal to me.

Decent jazz

Rett og slett god jazz. mye artig påfunn.

Like I surrender dear, but idk nothing stood out. I feel like I want to like monk more than I do

(Listened to Before) A formative record for me and maybe one of the best hard bop jazz records in existence. Favorite Tracks: All of em Least Favorite Tracks: Nonexistent

1957....Magic, baby. I will never oooh and aahhhh with my semantics or musical terms, but this is beautiful.

Background music for me, liked Bemshwa Swing at the end, pulled it up from a 2 to a 3

Not a jazz guy but I’ll admit I was more productive than usual while listening.

What I really love in 1950s jazz is bold, clear melodic lines, and the sense of huge energetic possibility kept just under control at a rolling boil. "Bemsha Swing" has this sound and is great. Some of the other tracks are just a little too chilled out, and piano isn't my favourite jazz instrument anyway. But however you look at it, this is an album of amazing quality. 4*

Really enjoyed this - groovy melodies with pleasant sounding solos. Not too difficult, something I will listen to again.

I like my jazz that comes with a strong northern Irish accent, this wasn't that.

It stirred nothing. Like LD and the ocean I feel like I'm missing something.

Part of me wishes I could get on-board with jazz but I just find it stressful more than anything. Bits of this sounded like a bunch of guys trying to learn their instruments for the first time. Best track: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are

I listened to the first track and half each of the next two. It's not that it sounds really horrible (although it does sound completely improvies), but it's way too distracting for work.

Swanky and stanky. The Picasso of jazz. Rock on Thelonious.

Boring. Jazz is boring.

Another Jazzy effort. Not unenjoyable but doesn't really do anything for me. The highlight is Track 2 that sounds like Cruella DeVille's theme from Disney's 101 Dalmatians.

Once again not a fan of jazz, especially the more experimental stuff, but this was very interesting. Bits sounded like they shouldn’t be there, it was odd

Good free-form jazz, not a super easy listen but plenty in there

This was listenable but it faded into the background for me. I'm not a focused jazz listener and admittedly don't have the experience to appreciate it like an aficionado. I was honestly surprised to see this on a big list of rock/pop albums.

Not my thing

Puro jazz, seco y sobrio. Grande.

Not for me

Frantic jazz , good I guess

Jazz plus jazz equals jazz

old school piano jazz

Can appreciate the artistry of this while not necessarily thinking it was amazing. Would listen again but probably not recommend it to others.

Yeah, no thanks. I like Jazz too!

Pretty cool despite not being my bag

Wasn't in the mood at all at first. Actually enjoyed it on second attempt.

Not my usual listen but I enjoyed it in the background.

*shrugs* could be ace but i'm far from the gadge to judge. I did find it frustrating that once it hit a wee groove it quickly jumped away from it.

Jazz is Monk

Can’t not give this 5 stars.

No tengo mucho que decir a parte de que esta gente es talentosísima. De los discos instrumentales que me han salido aquí, uno de los que más he disfrutado.

duplicate

funky jazz. i like. didn't finish whole album

jazz

Maybe some percussion stuff was cool, but nothing about this album makes we want to listen to a single track ever again

“Brilliant Corners” by Thelonious Monk (1957) Never heard this album, but I’m marginally familiar with the progressive jazz of Thelonious Monk. These instrumental compositions are intricate and alluring. Monk’s progressions are very accessible to those who are not familiar with New York jazz of the mid-twentieth century. His virtuosity is to be heard in his flourishes, arpeggios, and scales. Melodies on this album seem to exist as a mere framework for jazz riffs, producing a nice 50s bebop feel. A very broad definition of harmony, especially for 1957. Listen for simultaneous adjacent chromatic notes on the celeste on “Pannonia”. They might sound like flubs until one begins to hear the patterns. To get a good taste of Monk’s piano work, check out “I Surrender, Dear” (which I think should have been the opening track, to give the album some forward momentum, but okay . . . ). His technique is accomplished, with crisp execution (perhaps too staccato), but lacking in dynamic variation. Compare with Earl Hines, Oscar Peterson, and Herbie Hancock for a timeline of jazz piano. Monk is not quite in their league, but he’s very good. Saxophonists Sonny Rollins (alto) and Ernie Henry (tenor) unquestionably display talent on this album, even if they are frequently not quite in tune with one another. Several pleasing solo breaks by sax, bass, and drums. This is a fine album, well worth a listen. 4/5

Sin voz.

The Amazon Prime music version has one song clocking in at 42 minutes. The Allmusic description has 6, roughly at 42 minutes? I could have this on endlessly, but I'd probably listen to it once a year.

It’s jazz. If you like jazz then here’s some jazz for you. It sounds like all the other jazz so maybe this is good jazz or maybe this is middle of the road jazz. It’s definitely jazz though.

esta chilleable, digerible, casi perfecto...thelonious monk una verga

Clean jazz is always appreciated

3.2*...good album for what it is but it’s elevator music

Not a jazz guy (not cultured enough) but pleasant to listen to. Jazz always classes up the joint. 5/10

I love Theloniois Monk.

5 canciones y 42 minutos. Me sigue sorprendiendo como el CD y luego lo digital cambiaron la cantidad de música a incluir en una nueva entrega de un músico o grupo. El sonido es bastante bueno, da gusto poder escuchar algo de 1957 así.

It's really tough to pick a favorite song with instrumental jazz... The 5 songs on here just kind of blend together into one 42 minute song. I'm not saying it's bad... but just tough to find one that stands out. All in all, I liked it.

Excellent jazz. I don't know enough about jazz to say what makes it so great, but I know enough about music to say "I Enjoyed This Album."

Started listening - very jazzy. Did not finish.

Semibängeri Skön jazz

jazz. don't know much about it. but enjoyed it.

Definitely enjoyable, but all the nuance in jazz is lost on me. Hard Bop tends to be most my space and i could listen to this again, but i'm sure i wouldn't recognize any of these pieces.

Great jazz album, very soothing. Didn't blow my mind

Cool blues/Jazz album. Nice to relax to or play as house

No songs really killed it for me.

🎹👅

no noodling

deve ser bom pra quem tá familiarizado e curte o gênero... considerei música ambiente e olhei pra ver quanto tempo faltava pra acabar várias vezes... sou pleb pra jazz. não é minha praia não

My favorite jazz album of all time

Next up is a Jazz album called Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk. I know the name, and I've heard of some of the collaborators on this album from 1957. It's the sort of Jazz I've had trouble with in the past. The reviews describe this album as challenging and idiosyncratic, and that means it keeps taking me out of the music. The first song, and name of the album, feels disjointed and scattered and I'm having trouble staying connected. The 2nd song feels better and grooves along well enough, I can hear Monk and how he is in the lead - and the other band mates follow. From what I can see this is a Hard Bop album and this might be the exact kind of Jazz I'm not a fan of. Though I find myself getting drawn into some of the quiet parts of this album. Though it seems like something comes along and interrupts my listening. I own some jazz, and have enjoyed it as art form for many years. My wife is a big fan of the Jazz Vibes playlist on Spotify, which is as far as I get with Jazz these days. And it's background music for the most part. The latter half of this album was very well done.

Nice to wok by

As usual I don't feel qualified to critique jazz. This captured me less than other Thelonious Monk pieces I've heard.

Left you wanting more!

Any time I focus in there is interesting stuff happening

nice jazz

2-3

Go listen to Pannonica right now.

Too much Jazz

not my thing. Didn't finish the album.

Love some Jazz!

Not something I would usually listen to, but I did enjoy this. Unconventional song structures and rhythms, and some fantastic playing. Not an easy listen, but an enjoyable one.

Nope...I am not a Jazz fan.

Not my taste

Idk if I’ve graduated from jazz appreciator to jazz lover. Some of it sounds incredible, but the really dissonant off-key notes really throw me off. I get that they’re kinda supposed to make you feel a little uncomfortable but it’s just not the most pleasing jazz to me.

Not the kind of instrumental music I really enjoy

Jazzy jazz be doop a doop doop.

Great classic Jazz album. Some songs recognized as samples

Iz jazz

Pretty class. Dos Monos sample the first track on this album, which was pretty unexpected.

Nice jazz. I probably can't properly appreciate this album due to a number of factors... but yeah it's good jazz. Standout Tracks: Pannonica