Brilliant Corners

Excellent.

Not for me

I've liked a good amount of the jazz albums on this list, but I wasn't blown away by this. The title track was a cool start. Some very quick sax work, which made for a fun listen. The next song just floated along for me, pretty meh. Pannonica wasn't a massive amount better. I Surrender, Dear had some good piano work to it, but that's all there was. Bemsha Swing was a nice way to close the album, solid track. 3 stars. Not bad, not amazing.

I saw a review that said "I don't know enough about jazz to know why this is great, but I do know I enjoyed it"........ so yeah, that! 4/5

I’ve been pretty into jazz recently but this one didn’t do it for me as much. I still liked it but it didn’t blow me away

Un bel 4

Listened to this but found the length of tracks dreary. Jazz can be good to listen to but for me, in short bursts only

making me feel like im in a new york pub

Seems that I just don't understand jazz.

Classic jazz. Not much to write home on

It’s not bad. By biggest issue with it is length. The songs are all too long for me, so it makes it feel a bit sloggy. 2/5

NIce and jazzy all around. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. I mean, it’s jazz. There’s not that much to say, especially 885 albums in. This has a little more of an avant-garde juice to it than say, “Kind of Blue”, but at its core, it’s still a jazz album. The thing I’m most impressed by here is the willingness to let each instrument shine; this album takes turns between the piano, bass, sax & drums on each track to let each of them have a moment, and they all come across well. I especially loved the celesta on “Pannonica” for giving me huge Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood vibes. The only track that’s solely piano is “I Surrender, Dear”, and while it is just a bit plain, the arrangement is still nice. The most impressive of the 4 core instruments here is the drums; they have a really imposing presence, especially on the first two tracks when it feels like there’s an anger behind them. For 1957, there’s almost a punk rock vibe to them that’s wholly atypical of jazz albums of the era, and the drum solos become the most striking part of the whole thing, even over Thelonious Monk’s piano noodling. I wish Sonny Rollins’ sax work had gone a little harder at times, but it’s still pretty damn good throughout as well. Overall, it’s 43 minutes of really well done jazz with a slightly experimental lean. The only reason I’m at a 4.5 is because some solos settle at times & because “Bemsha Swing” seems to unsatisfyingly end when it still has some juice left in the tank. It doesn’t really wind down the album in quite the way I was hoping for, but it’s still fine. It’s certainly not enough to bump it down to a 4. If jazz isn’t your thing, or if you find this a bit same-y overall, the floor is probably a 3. I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5, just because it clicked well for me.

i dont like jazz so this got boring pretty fast

Like me some jazz though I don’t think this hits the top of what I’ve heard.

Outrageous lineup. Best pianist of all time. Tight, concise and smooth-flowing tracks. What a fucking classic!

i dont have the brain for jazz

I'm way more a free jazz guy than a hard bop guy, but for the bop, this bops pretty hard. Dad jazz.

Pretty good for background noise while relaxing.

decent

I don’t get jazz. Giving it a 3. Averages my enjoyment 1 with what I’m sure it probably is for jazz 5.

listening to this makes me feel like i'm sitting in a cocktail bar in manhattan sipping an overpriced cocktail and waiting for the private investigator i hired to tell me whether my scoundrel of a husband is cheating on me or not

I'm by no means a jazz aficionado but I enjoyed "Brilliant Corners" so much that I listened it twice in a row. From the jazz records so far I'd still choose "Head Hunters" and "Back at the Chicken Shack" over this so I guess Brilliant Corners is 3,5ish.

174. nice

While i probably wont go back to it on the daily, the musicianship here is incredible.

Two 50s jazz albums in a row is mad and while I liked this one as a listen, I find many of the other similar albums to be a bit better. Still great for the era though but not my favorite Monk.

Really good moments and also not so memorable ones. The piano playing just sounds sloppy to me at times. The tenor sax in the intro to the first song is not my favorite performance either. The celeste was a cool instrumentation choice but being a keyed instrument the clumsiness is there as well. Bass and drums were good throughout. Maybe I will come around sometime but for now it's not doing it for me.

Nice background music

smooth but im not a big jazz fan

Just isn't for me. Not bad per se, but wouldn't choose to listen to it. Maybe I just didn't connect to it.

Wow, that was great. Cool, relaxing and charming yet engaging and unpredictable. changes its tempo like twice, sometimes played solo, sometimes unison, and even passed through different instruments in sliced up phrases and then that abstract drum solo. All that happened in the title track, which remains the highlight of this album. Undeniable classic.

So. Learning a lot about Monk today. I like the abrasive nature of this album. It’s hard not being able to attach a meaning or story or point to this album, just good music. My favorite this about this album is that it allowed weirdness to be mainstream. Riverside released it (mainstream jazz label), critics praised it, and the splicing of the title track was generally just accepted. Sounds like this opened the door to almost all the music I love most today. Also learning about Monks career arc with this album as the peak is so interesting. Need to have a movie made about it. He just grinded and struggled through everything for the love of jazz and made it out on top. His mental health situation on top of everything, he’s like a mid century Kanye or MF DOOM.

I freely admit that I know nothing about jazz. I didn’t like jazz growing up, but I attribute that to a lousy high school music teacher who was more interested in teenage girls than teaching music. I tried to play and understand jazz, but a combination of a tin ear and a teacher who didn’t care led to disillusionment. I think I recovered. So far in this project, I’ve discovered that jazz is actually one of my favorite genres. Specifically bebop, but I’m becoming more open to other styles like Afro Cuban and Fusion. Thelonious Monk was always a musician I respected, mostly for his collaborations with John Coltrane, my personal jazz hero. He’s playing with Sonny Rollins here and it’s a great combination. The drummer Max Roach is amazing. A pleasure to discover this one. 4.5 stars After writing this, I read that Sonny Rollins just passed away today at the age of 95. RIP.

I’m only an occasional jazz-listener but if you told me that for the rest of my life I could only listen to one jazz artist I would choose Thelonius Monk. His music seems to make sense of the whole genre for me.

it's the kinda of overwhelming jazz. solos are kinda semi-random, but the vibe is good

He was certainly talented, as was his band. I just really need to be blown away by a jazz record to feel anything though. This album is often credited as an example of Monk’s incredible composing skills, and I just have trouble hearing the difference between improvised jazz and composed jazz.

Honestly, I personally just don’t get jazz. I understand that jazz is always different and is spontaneous and unpredictable, but to me it feels like most of the time it drags on for too long and just doesn’t do much for me. But as an album, I’ll give it props for being technical and out there. But honestly I would not play this again for myself unless I have a good reason to. Overall Score: Strong 4

Arsenal 25/26

Still can’t appreciate this type of jazz. It lowkey makes me anxious too

When I'm done working, I'm going to spend all my time at a bar that plays nothing but this album over and over and over again.

Interestingly I really was unsure how to approach this album. I appreciate jazz. As I stated in my review of Coltrane’s Love Supreme, my stepfather was a huge fan who worked to educate me in my youth. But I realized after writing that little review that my stepfather was biased toward horn players. I had no idea who Kieth Jarrett was until this exercise. If his Koln concert was the greatest selling solo piano performance of all time, how did I not know about it, at all, until yesterday? Then when I thought back on Coltrane and A Love Supreme I was hit by something else. Where was Giant Steps? My Stepfather would have been scandalized. Just like he would have been by the absence of Bird. And I realized that I knew Thelonious Monk, knew who he was, because of the album Bird and Diz where I believe he was the pianist. But I don’t think my stepfather had any solo Monk. And I don’t think he talked about him as much. So I am biased. I never got into jazz on my own. Not exactly. Not the way some people do. I mostly go back to what I am familiar with and continue to love it. And when someone introduces me to something new I often ponder it and digest it and then accept it or reject it accordingly. So… this album. I had to listen to it twice. And I will admit I read some blather about it. I realized there were valid reasons I didn’t feel compelled to give it a 5 right off the bat. It seems Thelonious was truly struggling with his band mates and it shows. It’s just not the smooth single take that other classic albums are purported to be. But it IS great. That second listen paid off. I came to appreciate it more and more. So 5. Boolean: yes, absolutely glad I listened and re-listened, and hopefully will listen to yet again before I die.

Swinging, casual, yet clinical in its craft. A very good album from a master jazz mind.

Great

interesting listen, i feel as tho this isn’t monks best work however. not totally in love with some of the work here

Джаз - это не ко мне

Oli kyllä meleko jazzia jazzia. Kovaa menoa, kovaa soitantaa.

Lovely, warm piano tone. Pannonica and I Surrender, Dear were stand-outs for me.

Who could be mad at this. A lovely jazz album by a lovely person. 5 Stars.

Look, I’m not a jazz guy, never have, never will. I can however, appreciate the significance of Monk and what he stood for at the time. Unfortunately, for me personally, it never switches out of first gear, though the drums are spectacular in places like Bemsha Swing.

es como jazz de noche en una ciudad, lindo sonido. pannonica parece una cancion de cuna

Obviously a great listen if you like jazz. Was a nice background tune but doesn't exactly do anything for me. I can still appreciate how important Thelonious Monk is.

Very interesting listen and my introduction to Thelonious Monk. Really enjoyed listening to this with the chaotic and scattered tunes, it oozes jazz.

Good to hear early Sonny Rollins

I mean.. it's jazz. Good jazz. 3.75

I'm not a big jazz fan, so I'm probably missing something. I know what a big deal Thelonious Monk is to American jazz, but I'd much rather listen to Dave Bruebeck or Art Pepper than this. It's a bit too freeform for my taste.

very good very nice

beautifuk bg

I really was not in the mood for this today. It could be a good album but I was mostly just waiting for it to be over

This is Jazz, that sounds likes jazz. I'm not gonna pretend I know anything about jazz. So, it's good, I guess. Today I learned that Thelonius Monk is a piano player.

I really don't know how to rate this. I'm sure it's important jazz but I got bored listening to it. I will never become a jazz musician which is probably required to really 'get it'. This is all reflected in my rating, anyone reading can feel free to use whatever ad hominem they are thinking it's probably true.

Et interessant jazz-album. Ved ikke så meget om jazz og er ikke vildt interesseret i instrumental musik. Af det jazz jeg har hørt, er jeg mere til de mere strukturerede stykker med en hooky melodi og et godt groove end de mere improvisationsbaserede stykker. Ved ikke hvilken lejlighed jeg ville putte dette album på til, men sætter pris på den tid jeg har brugt med det i læsesalen.

Liked this one! Swinging along whilst listening. Don't think I would listen to it again, but otherwise really solid.

Efectivamente, es jazz

[album #10] i am a big monk fan and this one is no exception. loved spending time with this one and will surely revisit many times. all the songs are great but for some reason pannonica really stuck out to me this listen. 5/5

puro Jazz, sin letras. Me gusta, pero admito que no es algo que escucharía regularmente, quizás más de fondo. no sé si son improvisaciones o no, pero igualmente muy bonito. le tengo mucho respeto al jazz, pero no lo elijo en este formato

Gives that speak easy feeling.

I had a really bad day at work and this was really nice to drive and think with on the way home. Little traffic, pre-storm wind and smell. Hits just right.

I swear people only pretend to like Jazz because they think its cool

Good jazz, wish I was hearing live instead… would’ve given it more of a vibe

Jazz is better, like so many other things, when they start with the end in mind. I’m not asserting none of this album is improvisational, midflight, but I am asserting none of it *feels* like it. Despite Jazz featuring some of the most talented musicians across all genres, it does not escape this basic fact. Flopping your gigantic, classically trained dick on the table does not make a disorganized mess sound more pleasing to the ear. This album threads the needle on giving the musicians space to play, within a defined skeleton that keeps it tight. Best Jazz album yet.

solid jazz

I don't get Jazz and I'm not sure I'll ever will. It's the music genre embodying 'never let them know your next move'. But I won't judge them for it.

Ich mag ja Jazz, aber das war selbst mir ein zu langweiliges Gedudel

nicht mein Ding und schon besseren Jazz gehört.

Chilliger Jazz

I'm not a jazz expert...at all. So I can't really tell how this album compares to other albums in the genre. In any case, I enjoyed the album. It's pretty good and I liked listening to it. Overall, this is a solid 3 stars for me.

Now THAT’S what I call cooking music.

Nice easy listening, good for background work music.

Favourite Songs: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are Bemsha Swing

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on jazz, and his is name that I have heard, but after hearing a few jazz albums on this list, this doesn't do it for me. Most jazz records I have come across I could see just having on in the background, but this doesn't reach that threshold. It seems disjointed at times at the sake of any real melody, which as a fan of noise rock and post punk I would normally be into, but it doesn't work for me here. I can see some talent here, but there is nothing I would come back to.

Love a bit of TM

Not particularly interesting - despite one of my fav bars in London being named after it

Solid stuff.

Super interesting work.

If I knew more about music I think I'd appreciate Thelonious Monk more, but some of what's happening here is over my head. I still enjoyed listening to this album though.

Fun.

Nice background music for hanging out at home.

I don't know much about jazz. (I know a bit, but know there's a lot more to the iceberg.) I thought I knew what hard bop meant (and that I wouldn't be able to follow it), but I was wrong (on both counts). The idea of fusing bop and RnB suddenly makes sense. Result, I'm listening to something educational (representing a whole swathe of music I've heard about but not focused on) and also thoroughly entertaining. I can't but see it as "of its own time" - but still eminently listenable now. It's a short album (only 43 minutes, only five pieces), but I like the range of styles and tones. After a couple of repeat listens: it's Pretty Wonderful, 9/10. Footnote: Bemsha Swing is my favourite track - interesting article at https://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2023/bemsha-swing running through and commenting on some of the many versions of the song that have been recorded, then talking about the chord sequences ...

Was chatting with my brother and I asked him "Do you like jazz?" And he said well I like sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, pickles, and kimchi, but I do not care for kombucha. People always try to get me to drink kombucha and I just don't like it." He does eat probiotic, fermented foods, just not in a rotten tea-like form. So it is with jazz. I just don't care for this music. No interest in hearing it again. Is the musicianship solid? Sure. And I think of myself as a spontaneous, freedom loving kind of guy. Just not into jazz. Oh well.

Incredible name, nothing wrong with a bit of jazz

Schreckliches Gedudel

Not really my scene, but can acknowledge the skill at play here.

Apparently there is a big Thelonious Monk sized hole in my musical education. Really enjoyed this.

Brilliant Corners was a really different experience compared to most of the albums I’ve been listening to lately. The album has such a marked and recognizable style that it instantly stands out, feeling progressive and super ambitious for its time. Thelonious Monk’s compositions feel unpredictable and complex, but still full of personality and intention. As someone who really loves jazz, I can say I genuinely liked the album and appreciated everything it was trying to do, especially how unique and ahead of its time it sounds. At the same time, I was left missing some of those more emotional and intimate jazz moments that usually make me fully sink into a record emotionally. I respected it a lot more than I emotionally connected with it, but I still think it’s an amazing album, it genuinely felt like listening to them live, like everyone was reacting to each other in real time. The spontaneous cadence throughout the album gives it such a natural and consistent feeling, almost more like a live experience than a studio record. Thelonious Monk’s style is unpredictable and full of personality, but never loses its sense of groove or identity. The whole album transported me to another era, like sitting in a smoky bar or an old casino while the band plays in the background. More than anything, it reminded me of the simplest and most human parts of jazz.

Pas mon genre

i’m feeling sophisticated

strong 3.5. Acredito ser um álbum difícil de digerir com uma ouvida só, mas é definitivamente uma experiência interessante de improv jazz

Called artistic peak

Not bad, just too long and drawn out.

Boring.

Onanistic

Estuvo lindo. Perfecto para musicalizar el local. Nota: 3.0

First time listening This is a very happy jazzy album. I dont often listen to jazz, but this album was definitely worth a listen for me. I would give it a 7/10 enjoyment ranking

Too meandering. This is why I don't like so much of jazz. There's just too much going on and it sounds like a mess.

I like big smoky jazz and I cannot lie

It's fine. It's nice jazz music, I fail to understand what makes this great compared to other jazz music out there. It's good kitchen music.

dedicace à dr.lambert j’étais pas trop trop dans le mood pour un album de jazz je pense que ça a beaucoup affectée mon experience 😔

This is quite nice!

Jazz is not for me

Really talented, sounds skilled. Style is not for me. The percussive, short bursts on the piano, and the shrill reeds are just not for me. Very talented; very brilliant.

I luv me some supper club music.... daughter said it was Portillos music. Either way pretty good.

Had Monk on all afternoon now!

Definitely a classic jazz album. Sounds like Peanuts. It's definitely underrated and underappreciated. It's a great album, with great musicianship. Definitely worth a listen.

So incredibly special!

================================================ CALIFICACIÓN (1er acercamiento) ★⯨☆☆☆ (1,4) ================================================ Me resultó infumable, salvo "Bemsha Swing" (y no la volvería a escuchar), las demás las adelanté o no escuché completas porque eran puro caos, molestia, pareció ruido y no música, tan irritante como escuchar el sonido de un mosquito que simplemente querés aplastar... -Nota: voy a volver a intentar escucharlo en un rato... ================================================ CALIFICACIÓN (2do acercamiento) -Intento escuchar con otro enfoque, quizás hasta como un músico, no un "consumidor pasivo" en busca de su "paja musical". (★★★⯨☆☆) (3,3) ================================================ 1. Brilliant Corners (★★★☆☆) -Tuve más paciencia, increíblemente pude encontrarle el sentido y la coherencia que a la primera escucha no. Me sorprendí escuchando los 07:43 sin sentirme irritado, sabiendo que no me termina de convencer, pero ya no puedo decir que es algo pésimo, y también que debo atender más al piano que al resto de elementos para juzgar a Monk. 2. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are (★★★⯨☆☆) -El piano acá resalta bastante... realmente se puede sentir algo por un breve pasaje y el resto me pareció que sonaba bien, pese a que rompe a cada segundo con la búsqueda de patrones que hasta inconscientemente hago. Hay pasajes donde pareciera que podrían hacer canciones diferentes a partir de ahí, lo que me hace pensar en extraer un sample y crear algo nuevo. Terminé de escucharlo y me resultó aceptable, ahora sí. 3. Pannonica (★★★☆☆) 4. I Surrender, Dear (★★⯨☆☆) 5. Bemsha Swing (★★★★⯨) -La mejor. ================================================ ================================================ ================================================ CALIFICACIÓN FINAL -Promedio de las dos escuchas. (★★⯨☆☆) (2,35) ================================================ ================================================ ================================================ -Definitivamente no es algo que escucharía todos los días, incluso es necesario tener cierta predisposición para hacerlo, al menos en mi caso. ================================================ ================================================ ================================================

Turned it off. Rubbish

7/10

Yeah man This is giving me heavy Mario Kart vibes Are monks even allowed to play jazz? I know for a fact they're not allowed to do heroin...

Listened to this wrong (running errands) it definitely needed to be heard while smoking a leisurely cigarette and wearing sunglasses. Will listen again !!

Not a 50's kinda guy

No lyrics, jazz music. Good to do work to.

Quite good. Enjoyable for sure.

Not bad. It’s jazz.

You like jazz....? Not really.. .he's no H. Jon Benjamin, Jazz Daredevil

Alright, here's my first impressions of Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk. It was a pretty good album. Admittedly, going from John Coltrane Love Supreme to this was a very noticeable shift, being a lot more chill and something i'd love to listen to while dancing with someone. I say that knowing that it's titular song "Briliant Corner's" Goes very hard, as an example, i'd like to point out Max Roach's work on the drums (and also the tipani) of this song, 5:00 in to it, some very solid percussion's. i'd give a 4/5, while it didnt went as crazy as i thought, it was very fun listen. I have a soft spot for some good piano, and some blue's piano certainly does hit the spot. My favorites, on top of the self tittled song, were Pannonica, I Surrender Dear and Bemsha swing

Fun album, great piano and sax jazz.

I didn't realize until a couple songs that I had finished the album and some other jazz was playing. I guess that tells you what kind of ear I have for jazz.

The better of the jazz albums I have thus far listened to. Love that this was piano forward. So pleasant, wasn't annoyed at how long the songs were. That's a win! Could've listened twice, I think :).

Good jazz

Diese Musik ist legendär

It's jazz and it's alright.

This sounded pretty great.

Timeless jazz, nothing really to be impressed or offended by. This is what all jazz sounds like to the untrained ear and it's classically good. 6/10

I don't have much to say about blues, the genre is too specific

I have a suspicion that all the jazz records on this list will get a 3* rating from me, because I always enjoy it but I find it difficult to differentiate between great jazz, good jazz, and bad jazz. To me, it's all just jazz and it's always a fun time. But I can't say much beyond that. Love the piano playing on this particular record.

tranquilo

Très bon album de Jazz. C'est certes très classique, mais ça marche vraiment très bien. À la fois au niveau des mélodies avec des cuivres parfaitement gérés comme sur "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues Are", comme pour les ambiances avec des parties de piano très propres et singulières comme sur "I Surrender Dear". Franchement, l'album est vraiment très clean, un classique du genre, et ne serait ce que pour la personne de Thelonious Monk et ses partis pris dans sa vie, l'album mérite son attention.

I don’t usually enjoy or really understand jazz, but this was very fun!

I LOOOOVE JAZZ!!!!! this is absolutely a new fav for me wow wow - reminded me of A Love Supreme which is another all time fav

Not got anything clever to say, that guy is good at the piano

Supongo que si te gusta el jazz está muy bien; si no, santo coñazo.

Enjoyable.

I'm not into this kind of Jazz - I prefer Big Band Jazz and songs I'm already familiar with (Whiplash songs for example that have strong energy) - so it's hard to rate this one. I find it monotonous, and, sorry Sebastian, but it sounds like elevator music to me. I cannot hang on to anything (lyrics, chorus, pattern) to identify it or remember anything. Obviously Thelonious Monk must be top of the class for Jazz lovers, I've heard his name many times, but I'm not trained and savy enough to care or understand what's great his music or his skills. Cover : Clever and effective, I like the color tone too.

nice jazz. just ok...?

Not really my taste, but amazing musicians.

Here we go again. Anyone says they like this are fooling themselves. In the first song there's a drum solo of sorts. He just randomly hits various drums. No rhythm or tune. Maybe that's asking to much. This can't be one of the greatest albums ever it is rubbish. The Emperors New Clothes. 8 albums in and 4 have been jazz. Still only giving my name rank and serial number but could give up the invasion plans at any moment The last track is very apt I Surrender Dear.

Some good stuff on here, but it has its flaws. The first song was good, but the next one was just a riff in between extended solos which got old fast. Then there was what seemed like someone teaching themself to play piano for a whole song. Then two decent numbers to end the album. Fun fact that I just figured out, The Red Hot Chili Peppers have a song called F.U. that steals its riff from Bemsha Swing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zLbFpAMITmA

4.5* A veces Pantera Rosa. Eso no es malo.

funky funny upbeat stuff

Keeping high school jazz bands in business since 1957

4 - BAD

Can’t decide if I hate it or quite like it.

Jazz. Qcyo

Saved? ✅ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔

Awesome jazz record. No one sounds like Monk

Grows on you

dull

It's Thelonious Monk. The musicianship here is fantastic. He knows when to bring the piano to the forefront and he knows when to sit back. He has some legends playing with him on this album including Paul Chambers (played on [[Kind Of Blue]]), Max Roach, and Sonny Rollins. This is best listened to unencumbered.

Not usually a jazz fan but Thelonious Monk is a sick name and this album was pretty great

album #29 for better or for worse, this sure is jazz. ꩜ average track rating: 2.6/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): bemsha swing ꩜ least favourite track(s): i surrender, dear ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,060 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 15 (+1 Brilliant Corners) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 6 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 23

no pinchan ni cortan la verdad

nie przesluchalam calego bo w chuj dlugie tylko 2 i pol a nizbyt mi sie podiba bo bez slow jakis jazz idk co to

I am begging for more respites between all the jazz. I don’t ask for much.

En dag skal jeg sette meg inn i bop.

En dag skal jeg sette meg inn i bop.

01) Brilliant Corners - 5,0 02) Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are - 4,0 03) Pannonica - 4,0 04) I Surrender, Dear - 3,0 05) Bemsha Swing -3,0 TOTAL: 3,80 (38/100) Current ranking: 859/877

Det här är inte min jazz. Både tråkigt och dåligt i mina öron. Det här är för någon annan, det var knappt jag tog mig igenom den.

Det här kan man lyssna på länge. Det är som att bara stiga in i en mjuk värld och luta sig tillbaka. Kanske inte sticker ut till som något särskilt progressivt i dag. Men det är en tidsanda, en stämning som är njutbar. Bra samspel mellan Rollins och Monk.

Det finns absolut ingen som kan gå det kantiga att låta så harmoniskt som Monk. Hans spel är omisskännligt. Det vrider å vänder, kränger åt alla håll. Ändå låter det helt självklart. Å sen övriga musikanter! Rollins bara flyter fram medan rytmsektionen med Pettiford och Roach styr skutan med inbyggd kompass. Roach har en grym timing. Exakt i när det ska tas ner, och när det ska tryckas lite extra på kaggen. Chambers och Terry gör rätt hyfsade inhopp på avslutningsspåret också. Allra bäst är det i Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are. Något svagt spår finns inte men I surrandet dear har vi hört i roligare versioner. Den hade mått bra av att Monk behållt sällskapet från övriga bandet. I så fall hade femman varit oundviklig. Nu blir det ”bara” en vrålstark fyra.

Ingen spelar piano som Monk. Helt i sin egen takt men ändå helt i samspel med bandet. Inget dåligt band heller; Sonny Rollins, Oscar Pettiford och Max Roach. Monk har bara ett album med i boken. Om jag ska välja ett Thelonious-album så är det Monk's dream som gäller. Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are och Bemsha Swing skivans höjdpunkter. Kommer precis över fyran.

So so

10 λεπτά μπάνιο έγιναν 30 λεπτά μπάνιο.

I prefer my jazz a little less out there

I don’t like Jazz

Jazz wouldn't be my go to music but it has been lovely to listen to whilst I work. Not too distracting but calming

Jazzy and fun!

Fucking gorgeous

Hienoa musisointia. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hyvinhän se vetää! Vähän liian korkealentoista meikäläiselle.

This was great. 4.5/5.0: Excellent

fantastic

Pure genius.

Approachable, piano led jazz you could have playing in the background or be the main event. Will be looking to pick this up on vinyl.

A bit too much for me. Needs a bit of structure!

This is a fun album. I have always enjoyed jazz and instrumental music. Thelonious Monk is at the top of his game here.

не понимаю это

Not really my type of Music but I liked it

Pretty cool jazz, great for a rainy day

Monk is the best blues musician to ever live. "bUt He'S a jAzZ mUsIcIaN." Shut the f*** up and listen to Bolivar Blues again

The list is so strange in so many ways, but one is the seemingly arbitrary choice of non “rock” music albums. Brilliant Corners is a marvelous record, aptly named, and is an undeniable classic of jazz. But no more than several dozen other incredible jazz titles by artists that are equally worthy that received no mention on the list. I'd probably have gone for Genius of Modern Music, Vols 1&2 or Monk’s Music if we are picking one to educate the masses with, but Brilliant Corners is worthy as well and I'm happy it's here. More people need to hear Bemsha Swing

Si la portada con los cinco "Monks" engaña a la vista, su música desafía al oído desprevenido. Lejos de ser una falta de técnica, las disonancias de Monk son una muestra de creatividad superior; rompe las reglas del piano tradicional para construir algo mucho más intelectual y audaz. A pesar de ser una grabación históricamente difícil de ejecutar (especialmente el tema homónimo), el resultado final fluye con una naturalidad asombrosa. Lo más destacable es el diálogo maravilloso entre los vientos (con un Sonny Rollins impecable) y el piano punzante de Monk; no se superponen, sino que se responden y desafían constantemente. Este jazz se percibe muy rico y profundo, exigiendo una escucha activa para apreciar cada ángulo y cada nota "fuera de lugar" que, en realidad, encaja a la perfección en su caos organizado.

pretty good jazz album

I don’t know much about jazz, but this album sounded pretty good, with some small parts that felt a bit off but mostly smooth

Blind album, know the artist. Good listen for sure, and I liked this more than other jazz albums I'd say. Maybe it was the swing, the piano? 4.

Really enjoyable. Context around the album really helped understand it better and its impact on the music world. Solid listen

Too long

Standard 50’s jazz that’s been twisted into a loop de loop by the unique instrument that is Monk’s brain. Full of complex harmonies, song structures and rhythms that play by a simple rule: play less notes, but make each one matter more. The magic of Monk is that his normalization of dissonant chords and off kilter rhythms makes the real world feel less straightforward and monochromatic. It’s freeing, fresh and honest, this world where a ‘wrong’ note is oh so right and a stumble in the dark is perfectly choreographed. Monk’s world IS the real world. It’s everything else that smoothes out the human experience to the point of fabrication.

Chill

...there are people who like jazz, right? I bet they love this album.

Good ole fashioned jazz. Good listen, but not one I’d come back to all that much

Eh, this was alright. The music was decent and I enjoyed the rambling jazziness of it, but the piano had some really awful-sounding keys and it kept distracting me when he would just hammer those terrible notes over and over. The hammers sounded really hard and jangly too sometimes, which really pulled me out of it. I expected better music-wise from Monk. Two stars.

Jazz sin más. Me gusta el jazz y me gustó el disco, pero no soy gran fanático y tampoco tiene algo que emocione.

If there's a blues/jazz equivalent to a jam band, this is it :). Once again good background music, but to my musically illiterate mind, this seemed like just another jazz album. Without including any vocals, there's nothing to add that much unique flavor to it.

Always on my bucket list of artists to audition. Holy cow! This is the definition of smooth jazz. Unbelievable musicians, super recording. More than once I was transformed into some smoky underground jazz club just digging the vibe! Finger snaps!

Pretty groovy mm-bop du-wop sheebop. Enjoyed it. But didn't open any windows to an entirely new world for me.

I say this with all sincerity, I'm not sophisticated enough to fully appreciate this album. I liked it, but I believe I need to be more of a musician or jazz aficionado to get the most out of it.

Very good jazz album, i like the jazz solos and the sound in general, im honna listen to it more carefully, but i really like it.

Iconic? Yes. Influencial? Absolutely. Listenable? Not so much. I'm a simple person. I work hard all day, I'm not that interested in having to work hard to 'enjoy' something in my free time. I like paintings that look like something I recognize. I like drinks that taste good on the first sip. And I like music that sounds like all of the musicians are in agreement about what song they are playing. Maybe someday I'll be retired with so much free time and boredom that I can really dedicate myself to being cool enough to"getting it". Although, being dead seems easier.

Great jazz. Enjoyed it.

Very good this. Had it on three times in a row and will definitely listen again

I just don't know how I've got by without Thelonious all these years 😏

Dull. Sorry 😬

Album #64: Brilliant Corners - Thelonious Monk Genre (W): Hard bop No singles. I have listened to this album three times. Thoughts?: I enjoyed this album’s instrumentals a lot. I don’t know the terms exactly but I loved how the compositions were arranged. Specifically the solos. Favorite songs: Side One, Pannonica, Bemsha Swing

no.

Very solid jazz album, the first track was definitely a stand out

I love the jazz and i love the hooks

I like Monk, but it's more an intellectual exercise, rather than enjoying the music for what it evokes.

Brilliant smooth brilliantly smooth

Monk is fabulous. It's a lovely soundtrack for a lazy afternoon.

Pretty classic solid jazz. When I listen to this kind of stuff it just makes me wish I could play myself because it seems so enjoyable and cathartic to be part of a jazz group like just noodling away with friends would be so nice. (3.5 stars)

I liked it. Very jazzy

Lovely intro.

Love love love

Pretty much as good as jazz gets

I liked this, but not in a Miles Davis or Charles Mingus way. perhaps one day I will regret not going 4 stars.

It’s a bit tricky for me to assess jazz records when they come up because 1. I don’t know a lot about jazz 2. They so immediately feel novel and exciting compared to the overall vibe of the list. I know this was good to me, but maybe not in the same way some of the wilder jazz records have been.

A genre of music I don’t listen to and haven’t developed an appreciation for. A challenge for me to absorb on just two listens.

not my favorite jazz album ever but a nice listen! I’d check out more of his work after this

I like jazz and enjoyed the album but it didn’t stick out to me and I will probably never listen to it again.

Don’t care much for Jazz - to each their own I suppose

Talented musicians. Not my jam.

LPs don't have corners silly

The first jazz album I've listened to. It definitely makes me feel like I'm in the airport. I liked one song, "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are", because it sounds like "Cruella de Vil". But overall, a good but not great album.

Now that I've had a couple albums in this vein, I can tell this one isn't as good as some of the others on this list. I was still feeling the urge to wiggle my finger though so. 3/5

Not the biggest fan of jazz. I liked the style though.

Thelonious proves his one of the most cracked jazz composers of all time with this one. 5/5

Fajne, przyjemne. Taki archetyp jazzu. 4

Jazz.. Why did it have to be Jazz...

It was a bit too jazzy at first but then it got more cozy. 5/10

Hrópaði ekki á mig eftir þrjár hlustanir, en var mjög notaleg fyrir því. Alveg solid jazz fjarki frá þeim sem þarf að mennta sig betur í fræðunum.

I recognize that there's a lot of talent behind this album, but I just do not care for this smooth, artsy sort of jazz music. It feels like background music, never something I would deliberately play myself or pay much attention to. I'm just too uncultured to appreciate this I guess.

Довольно непривычный джаз Нахожу его менее мелодичным Тяжело оценить, даже если они сделали что-то прорывное в своем жанре

Nice jazz album.

Ein großartiges Album. Und musikhistorisch ein Meilenstein!

This is honestly kinda everything I hate about jazz albums. It’s so boring for the entirety of its runtime, it’s just him and his piano. It’s about 40 minutes of background noise, and I’m sure if I had been studying or at a jazz club or something it would’ve been great, but actually sitting and listening it’s just so boring. I can’t stand music that just meanders and wastes my time, and that’s all this album seems to do.

Fav- I surrender, dear

smooth jazz

OK but wouldn't listen to again

I tried to listen but was really not for me. Elevator music for pretentious people.

Interesting but I don’t think it’s something I’d come back to

very pleasing sounding melodies and sometimes intense

Great album! I'm no jazz aficionado but I've always liked Monk when I heard him. Unlike some of the other jazz that this list has served up so far, this still has enough structure for a layperson to find the groove and enjoy. Monk and his collaborators aren't afraid to experiment and get weird by any means, but it's kept grounded and accessible which I greatly appreciate. 4 stars

The jazzy instrumentals were nice. This seems like the type of music that I would put on while doing a long project, letting the music fade away in the background as I focused on my task. I wouldn’t put it on on its own, but it was very nice.

I've known about Thelonious Monk for a while, and I've always wanted to listen to him, despite his absurd stage name. The way this group is so tight and how each solo works so well, even the drums and bass, really made this one of my favorite Bebop-style jazz albums I've listened to. I'm not sure if it's a 4 or a 5 yet, since that has a lot to do with if I end up relistening to it, but I definitely enjoyed it. Also, it turns out Thelonious Monk is his actual, full legal name. Weird parents I guess. Favorite Track: Brilliant Corners

Good jazz album

Lounge jazz is not really something I seek out but it’s pleasant. I’m more interested in punchier jazz that makes liberal use of the brass section. But I listen to plenty of chill stuff so I get it.

Great record, but a bit flat in parts as an overall listen. I love how loose and messy the playing is, while being highly sophisticated musically.

AMAZING, ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE

Ja Thelonious är ju jäkla duktig och jag gillar Sonny Rollins mycket, men jag vet inte om det här var något album jag fastnade för. Stark trea ändå, men jag hade hoppats på högre. Hard bop är väl inte någon favorit inom jazzen för mig, men om jag nånsin skriver en hard bop-platta ska den heta Hard Bop Hallelujah.

Gemütlich

Hell yes, sånt jävla badass han är. Finns det något hårdare omslag än det till Underground?

Härlig blandning av konventionellt och dissonant och stökigt. Ibland som att en person med aktiv psykos spelar med sina skötare. Rätt svårgenomträngligt, man behöver ge det ett par lyssningar. Växer för varje gång. Bemsha swing är en odödlig banger och både Monk och Sonny Rollins är för badass för att inte ge en stark 4a.

Har lyssnat en del på Munken, men har lyckats missa alla låtar på den här skivan. Konstigt. Skulle behövt en till lyssning!

Cruella deVille, Cruella deVille Läbbigare häxa finns inte till

While I appreciate the musical skill, it is not great commute-to-work music. It didn't offend my ears, but I kind of tuned it out.

this was my second challenging album from the 50's today (the first being Sabu Cuban music). I can't do anymore!!!! I don't know what to say about it, except yup... that's jazz. Some jazz is very listenable and challenging at the same time. this album is just challenging. what a slog.

Legendary. Takes me back to studying him in college.

man, theses cats are swinging, man i know people say this kind of music is a challenge for new listeners and stuff but i find it appealing at first glance, not a boring moment, enjoying all the 'wrong notes' the dissonance the weird trumpet sounds great great i dont have the musical knowledge to describe what is going on but ts slaps cliche here but it sounds like it could be made today, there was a complete silence during one track, i thought it might be a uploading error, but seeing the sonic risks they took from that point on, I'm going to want to believe it was deliberate. i am thinking about giving it five stars but it bothers me to have the near certainty that I wont return to this album except in a context like this

no se mucho de jazz, pero no entiendo porque a la gente le molesta tanto, a mi me encanta!!

Solid jazz Didn’t rope me in as much as other jazz albums have though

A classic of bebop

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Bemsha Swing I don't know... Perhaps it's because I just back-to-back jazz albums (Miles Davis Birth Of The Cool), I wasn't really feeling this. Jazz as a genre is fine. This album is perfectly fine, but it's background music. You put it on and you do other things. It does not require active listening, but if you so choose to do active listening, you don't really gain anything particularly insightful. The mysteries of the universe are not unlocked for you. I'd argue that's the case for most music, but doubly so when there's no lyrics or singing to speak of. Must to hear before I die? Sure. Why Not. It's nice to have heard a perspective of Jazz that wasn't Miles Davis.

Until I listened to this album, I had never heard a bad Thelonious Monk album. Still haven't.

La verdad no lo terminé, pero hasta donde escuché estaba meh. Así que tal vez después lo edito.

I love Monk. He's great and the best track in here is the one where he plays piano solo. The rest of the tracklist doesn't really move me in any meaningful way, even if it's not necessarily bad. I just prefer other projects by him. Still, it's a worthwhile listen and the very last track is also very good.

This is definitely a Jazz album

I like Monk's playing and his solo albums, but in a band conext that kind if 50s Jazz is super annoying. Cheesy melodies + endless soloing from instruments that NOBODY wants to hear a solo from ... like bass or drums.

A good album, I liked Pannonica and Bemsha Swing the most.

todo es sospechoso y sexy en simultaneo.

The foreplay of jazz. Extra star just for the name.

Great piece of 50s jazz.

Il y a trop peu de jazz dans cette liste. Autant dire que tomber sur cet album fait bien plaisir ! Et c’est sûr que c’est un peu plus dur à assimiler qu’un énième groupe de synthpop, mais j’ai adoré l’écoute !

Lovely on a sunny morning

Nothing against the musicality but not for me.

Jazz album. Not really my thing to be honest. But for what it's worth, it's a solid album if you're into jazz. 6 / 10

Very cool. I like the energy and syncopation throughout this album. There’s a real sense of urgency which I love.

Monk is up there with the jazz greats. This isn't my favorite album by him but it's always a treat to listen to a master.

Angela: "I feel so stupid. I sit next to him every day." Dwight: "You're not stupid, jazz is stupid." Angela: [crying] "Jazz IS stupid! I mean, just play the right notes!" This was fine. Just made me think of that quote.

Outstanding. This might be my favorite new album. It’s SO creative and yet so chill. These artists are each in a league of their own. A 5.

Fine to have on in the background but... jazz.

Far too slow for my liking, album did not progress enough for me, songs felt detached sometimes and too respective other time. Altogether not a good album.

me gusto bastante, ideal para una noche chill con vino

Ugh YES!!! this is what I needed today. My only complaint is that these songs are so long and I can't use them for swing dancing. Otherwise, nearly perfection. 9/10

Love this album, great for getting work done. Jazz baby, jazzzzzzzzz

Was a pretty good jazz album. Didnt strike me as deep as some other on the list, but definitely a good time

Never knew I’d like stuff like this.

Monk is the piano equivalent of Miles Davis, John Coltrane or Charlie Parker: musicians who invented a new way of thinking about their instrument. His playing is the opposite of someone like Oscar Peterson who played with smooth flow and technical virtuosity. Monk is angular and anything but smooth. He has the technique, but the music is never just to show it off. His harmonies are almost to the point of atonalism, his playing sometimes almost childlike. But his music is unlike anyone else's. On this album the first track needed 24 takes and the band still couldn't get it right. It's an album to make you sit up and think, "What did he just play?" It's like spending 42 minutes in another world. Just splendid.

Masterful. And I'm pleasantly surprised by how many of the musicians on this record are still alive.

Sounds like 4 people playing a different song all at the same time. That is Jazz in general.

So mid it hurts