Reviews (page 3 of 12)
Every single time I listen to a Monk album I get the feeling that "this is my favorite Monk album". Right now, this is my favorite Monk album.
Cool. Jazzy. Relaxing. A little on the slow side.
Hits very well. It feels like true movement
Well this is more like it. Something completely unknown that makes you sit up and listen from the off. Is it the bastard child of Gershwin or the Neanderthal missing link to King Crimson’s perfectly formed Prog debut of 1969? It feels irreverent, almost burlesque. But I’m sure the gentler parts in the middle will mature into beauty over repeated listens. The bookends though? Everything sordid the jazz underground was apparently meant to be. Bring it on. I’m off to buy it.
Perfection
This is an amazing album!
From the disonnant hook of the title track to the vibraphones-enhanced lush textures of the sensual "Pannonica", this album is indeed brilliant. Dimery's list missed many jazz masterpieces. I'm glad it didn't miss this one. Number of albums left to review: 390 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 278 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 145 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 193
Very lovely jazz. :)
Weird contrast between discordant piano and the rest of the band. I've never been able to really love Jazz- I enjoy moments but that's all. I can put it on in the background. Having said that I recognise this is one of the biggies and it has class emanating from every note.
Not super approachable, as I don't listen to Jazz that often, but it is clearly an amazing piece of music, mind blowing actually.
Pretty awesome jazz record. Lots of great breakout performances. A must for a jazz head fo sho
Just a super enjoyable listen. I've been a fan of Thelonious Monk since high school and it's evident this style helped form my taste in jazz. The way this albums moves between tempos, handing ideas back and forth between the players is just plain fun.
I like the sound (4 stars), and obviously Monk has stood the test of time (70+ years), but I don't really know what the state of jazz was at the time, so it's a little hard for me to truly rate this. I have to go with the sound and then lean on others for the history. To quote from a couple of reviews: In his five-star review of the album, Allmusic's Lindsay Planer wrote that it "may well be considered the alpha and omega of post-World War II American jazz. No serious jazz collection should be without it." Awarding a maximum rating, The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings included the album in its suggested “core collection” of essential recordings. 5 stars.
Thelonious is a genius! I had heard a few songs from this album before, but the whole thing was incredible. A superb jazz album.
Superb!
Fantastic album - I wish it was longer. Loved the sound and could listen to this every day.
Brilliant. There’s no other word to describe this album.
Wow!! So jazzy and upbeat. Such a good album for doing monotonous work. Funkayyy
mon dieu, sois ue pogne ben trop de bo album dans la derniere strech (je suis a 960) ou bien je suis lousse sur mes notes. Mais bon, les albums de jazz son rare et les bon albums encore plus. Celui-ci se démarque vraiment . J'adore et c'est le genre de jazz que je réécoute. 5
This one’s a masterpiece. Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Oscar Pettiford … I mean come on! The liner notes are a Mount Rushmore of bebop. Fun fact: even with all that talent, it took them four hours, TWENTY FIVE takes, and at least two fights to record the title track due to complexity. Monk is a genius.
Oh yeah!
Great album from one of the all time best, It's really all about the title track, an amazing piece of music. I rarely have rated based on a single song but in that case I'm bumping to 5 stars, the rest of the album is good, there's much more consistent albums of his out there, hopefully we get at least one more.
Solidly executed jazz album that I can see myself throwing on randomly for ambiance.
I very much enjoyed Thelonious Monk & often listen to him when I'm in a jazzy mood. 4.5 stars
Nice jazz
This is my favorite Thelonious Monk album. It has his characteristic style of being elegant and beautiful while bringing weird tension when he chooses to. I love the exuberance of Bemsha Swing 5/5
Jazz that I like!
I appreciate this as a musician. it seems like a master class in tone and instrumentation. I hear stories in the notes.
These are the legends.
Monk is always five stars for me. Always has been, always will be. The music is always on point but more than that? The covers are ALWAYS on point.
This is Thelonious Monk, therefore it gets five stars.
"Brilliant Corners" is a studio album by American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and his third for Riverside Records, the first with his own compositions. It was recorded in three sessions and two different quintets. The music is categorized as hard bop which is a subgenre of jazz and an extension of bebop with influences of R&B, gospel and blues. Critics described this as Monk's peak along with "Misrerioso" and "the alpha and omega of post-WWII American jazz." In 2003, it was added to National Recording Registry and also to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. The self-titled "Brilliant Corners" begins the album. It famously took 26 takes to complete due to its unconventional song structure and complex rhythm. Yes, this goes slow then speeds up and back again. Piano starts it off. Ernie Henry on alto sax and Sonny Rollins in tenor sax join in. It is brilliant. "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" refers to the Bolivar Hotel where Monk met British jazz patron Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter. Described as riff-based blues. Max Roach with killer drums. We get a bass and a drum solo near the end. Monk plays a distinctive celeste piano in "Pannonica" sounding high-pitched and like a xylophone. The piano is appropriately named as it does sound like a twinkling star. Another dedicated to Baroness Pannonica. "I Surrender" was a song written by Harris Barris and performed by Bing Crosby in 1931. This version is all Monk on piano. "Bemsha Swing" closes the album and is dedicated to Monk's parents who were born in Barbados. Clark Terry on trumpet gives this song a nice change of pace. This is an outstanding album with some musicians being one of the best if not the best musicians in jazz and music history. It is a joy to listen to. Even with its complexities it's smooth. An album every jazz and music fan needs to listen to.
Some great jazz. Nothing more to say.
It’s monk
I mean, this is amazing. Duh! The opening track, Brilliant Corners, is jaw dropping. The rest is perfect for weekend afternoon mellow chilling out vibes.
If at first the music seems too discordant and harsh, don’t be deceived. There’s a method to Monk’s madness, and soon the beauty and complexity of each track unfolds in a dazzling display.
love it!!!!!!! fijne studeermuziek maar ook leuk om aandachtig naar te luisteren
Brilliant.
Excellent. I love Thelonious Monk but this was my first time for this album. Monk’s playing is fantastic and the whole band is in sync with his off-kilter, stop-and-start style. Really fun to hear them play around the melody. I love in a live jazz performance when you hear the applause after a solo. This is a studio recording but some of these solos are so good, it feels wrong not to hear clapping after them. I found myself quietly applauding a bunch while listening on headphones.
An interesting album especially as it features Sonnly Rollins alongside Thelonius Monk. Monk's style is experimental and makes good use of accidentals while still holding to a recognizable jazz format. A great hard bop album with very interesting changes. I see why a mentorship under Monk was a bit like being stuck in a crucible. The result is undeniable though
Some great Be-Bop on this album, great Sunday Morning music in my opinion. I love "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" "Brilliant Cornbers" (which is a complex masterpiece in my opinion) and "Pannonica" which is a tribute to the "Jazz Baroness" Kathleen Annie Pannonica De Koenigswarter. In fact I love all the tracks on this album. some great Bass riffs from Oscar Pettiford and also great drumwork from Max Roach. Love it and rightfully on this list.
Fascinating, remarkable, unique...I could go on and on. So much has been written about Thelonious Monk that writing about this artist is just like writing about anyone who reached the incredibly rare heights of their craft: it just all feels kind of cheap when compared to the real thing. This album is incredible. I'm going to listen to it again and again. What an artist.
200th album ;) Not 1st listen, put it on while frying eggs & mushrooms for breakfast. My favourite track is still “Pannonica”, and I appreciate the title track a lot more since doing a Thelonious Monk presentation in high school. October 19th 2022
jazzists
this is extremely my shit
It's Monk.
Monk really is a king of harmonies and “good-sounding” dissonances. A masterclass album. Plus, Sonny Rollins is on fire ! Love the whole album especially the wonderful blues Ba Lue Bolivar Ba Lues Are.
First listen.
This guy's corners are brilliant.
Loved it.
Unreal! The best guitarless jazz i've ever heard (as a guitarist nothing can top Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass for me).
So warm and inviting, and then it just twists your ear around, what a genius, what a pioneer. I'll take more where that came from.
An all-time favorite.
It’s Monk! 5 stars! Not my personal favourite Thelonious Monk album, but still a bebop classic.
jazzao muito agradável
I mean, if you need a jazz album in reserve to play and look cool at that kind of dinner party, this is it.
piano based jazz
prata fina
1957! It is really surprising how this sounds as if it were recorded yesterday. Absolute keeper.
Brilliant Corners is one of the odd ball tunes. Its so spikey and angular, especially in 1957. I love this album just like I love all of Monk's music.
Great TM album in every aspect.
Brilliant Corners = brilliant music. 5 🌟
Smooooooth. Drums are impeccable.
Mmmmm... tasty.
Awesome jazz. Some great solos, very relqxing
Enjoyed listening to this, but was gloss painting so did not give my full attention, but definitely worth another listen.
Great jazz album! Easy listening!
Great drumming
Extraordinary
Off course it's great..he's one of the greats...
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.
6 stars
Jazz essentials! Feels like I’m in von maur
Excellent, a jazz classic and wonderful!
Can't listen to this without bringing back memories of my grandad.
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.
I could listen to this album all day. Best in class.
9/10 great jazz, no complaints other than that I would like some more upbeat tracks. but these slow jams are nice too
Хорош, захотел его на пластинке
Love this album
Awesome jazz album! Very cool that it is from '57.
(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.
Puro jazz, seco y sobrio. Grande.
Jazz is Monk
Can’t not give this 5 stars.
I love Theloniois Monk.
My favorite jazz album of all time
Left you wanting more!
Go listen to Pannonica right now.
Love some Jazz!
Great classic Jazz album. Some songs recognized as samples
some good jazz
Decent album. Ive only had rock/alt rock so far so its nice to have something different.
Coolio
I liked it, but I'm not smart enough to say why.
This is gorgeous. Thank you for introducing me to it.
At first I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy this album since Monk is a bit more avant garde in his style, but I was proven wrong. The album is full of complex sounds that shouldn’t work but come together to create a very unique listening experience
Pleasant, without the shrill of trumpet that tends to stress me out!
Solid jazz.
Went on a real trip with this, bits are totally disjointed, and then come back together and have some incredible parts and incredible riffs. I started listening to this at work and found the discordant slightly frantic piano at the starting track just too much to take and concentrate at the same time, despite jazz being thought of sometimes as background music.. this is not! It's weird to even think of this with one name on the cover too as it's clearly a team effort with some incredible players, Max Roach's druming is probably my absolute favourite part of this. Giving this a solid 7.5, probably will be an 8 on next listen. It went down half a point because of the absolutely annoying af habit of streaming services to add all the bonus tracks into one album, adding all of those tracks to one is just too much.
I'm not a big fan of jazz, but the piano is top notch.. Also, my baby really seemed to enjoy this so I'll bump the rating for her.
great hard bop sessions. I like the story how the title track was too difficult to play and needed to be assembled from a variety of recording sessions.
Great album, Monk rules. I listened to this while driving and it didn't quite curb my road rage, and I know that's a me problem, but since I'm American, I'm blaming someone else and one point off. Highly recommended.
My friend could probably tell you more about the nuances of this jazz album, but I thought this was delightful. It was complex, yet inviting and fun. The piano went hard (obviously, he’s a pianist), but the drums were what really made it fun for me. This was up there with Miles Davis for me, a solid 4/5
Really liked. Fan of bop music and this album has great musicians. I would give it a 3.5 if possible but will go with a 4 as I really think it’s about a 3.7. Perhaps, because this is only my 4th album on this app I am being less discerning and swaying towards the positive.
8 / 10
Thelonious Monk is always good and Sonny Rollins on sax is a nice bonus.
can’t go wrong!
weird and great!
dooobry jazzzik nikuś lubi
Beautiful jazz
(Light 8/10) Thelonius Monk, one of the world's greatest jazz composers and pianists, with his third album Brilliant Corners. Brilliant Corners is one part mindblowing masterpiece, and one part improvisational Hard Bop goodness. The opening title track took about 12 takes to get right. The composition was so intricate and complex, the feat of recording such a track is one to be celebrated. The song itself is impeccable. For a music nerd and or a musician, this song is amazing to behold. The time signature changes, the intricate layering and melding of each respective musician, it's absolutely wonderful. The hard work absolutely paid off in spades for this recording. The rest of the album is pretty good too, though nothing as insane or ambitious as the first track. "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" is the longest song here, clocking in at over 13 minutes. It certainly feels like your good old jazz jam. With each musician having their time in the spotlight across this track's runtime, it's definitely a great song to get lost in. Side B contains a few more tracks, the lovely "Pannonica", the beautiful solo piano ballad "I Surrender, Dear" and the rousing "Bemsha Swing" which contains some of the best drumwork on this album. Now, while these tunes are rather good, the overall quality in comparison to the first track is night and day in my opinion. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you, it just leaves me wanting more from this record. I feel in some of the later tracks, the ideas could have been explored just a bit more, or expanded on even. I totally understand that by the time this record was done being recorded, these musicians probably didn't want to touch their respective instruments for a long time. I hear the recording sessions were very arduous. So all that being said, I think this is a solid offering from the Jazz Great. Is it the most exciting or revolutionary jazz album in the grand scheme of things? Outside of the title track I would argue no, but it absolutely deserves to be in one's collection if not just for "Brilliant Corners" and hearing some of the jazz world's master musicians come together to make an entertaining jazz record.
It's jazz
Monk killing it as always
This was not maybe my “kind of jazz”, but I don’t have the vocabulary to articulate the differences well enough. Still clearly brilliantly played and arranged.
Beautiful
Så mycket bra instrumentalister. Men för mig är det lite för svårt. Det svänger inte riktigt. En fyra
Brilliant 🎹
Excellent.
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
making me feel like im in a new york pub
NIce and jazzy all around. 4.5 bumped down to 4.
Like me some jazz though I don’t think this hits the top of what I’ve heard.
While i probably wont go back to it on the daily, the musicianship here is incredible.
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’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.
Swinging, casual, yet clinical in its craft. A very good album from a master jazz mind.
interesting listen, i feel as tho this isn’t monks best work however. not totally in love with some of the work here
es como jazz de noche en una ciudad, lindo sonido. pannonica parece una cancion de cuna
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
beautifuk bg
Efectivamente, es jazz
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.
Now THAT’S what I call cooking music.
Favourite Songs: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are Bemsha Swing
Love a bit of TM
Solid stuff.
Super interesting work.
Nice background music for hanging out at home.
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.
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
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
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.
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 !!
Quite good. Enjoyable for sure.
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.
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 :).
Diese Musik ist legendär
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!
Not got anything clever to say, that guy is good at the piano
4.5* A veces Pantera Rosa. Eso no es malo.
Grows on you
En dag skal jeg sette meg inn i bop.
En dag skal jeg sette meg inn i bop.
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.
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!
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.
This is a fun album. I have always enjoyed jazz and instrumental music. Thelonious Monk is at the top of his game here.
Pretty cool jazz, great for a rainy day
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.
Chill
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.
Great jazz. Enjoyed it.
Very good this. Had it on three times in a row and will definitely listen again
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
Very solid jazz album, the first track was definitely a stand out
Brilliant smooth brilliantly smooth
I liked it. Very jazzy
Lovely intro.
Not the biggest fan of jazz. I liked the style though.
Fajne, przyjemne. Taki archetyp jazzu. 4
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.
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.
AMAZING, ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE
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.
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!!
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
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.
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.
Perfect background music while I was writing an essay on the evils of our state government. 4/5
jazzzzz
Great lineup.
Really sweet :)
This was good. Felt like really great background music as I went about my day.
Starts off with an incredibly fun and colorful jazz composition that is bouncy, playful and puts an instant smile on my face. That energy is then replaced with something a lot more subtle with a lot of piano passages and a more melancholic sound. It's still really good and nice on the ears with sweet melodies and intricate playing. With the exception of I Surrender Dear which falls a bit on the boring side this is a very admirable jazz album.
nice jazz fav song: Bemsha Swing
Brilliant Corners was pretty great, it definitely had a big band feel from time to time. I don't know enough about jazz to write any more, but I enjoyed it. The first track, "Brilliant Corners" was very nice. Favorite Song: "Brilliant Corners"
melodic & chaotic, would definitely revisit [first listen]
Definitely a good listen for times I'm doing something else, whether that's reading, writing, or chilling. Retirement doesn't depend on weekends. I am not particularly versed in jazz (or whatever this specific genre may be called) but I'd say this was worth the time. 4 appreciative stars.
love jazz
Very accessible jazz, I liked it, won’t be a regular but will eventually return
I loved this so much more than I thought I would. I think my favorite thing about this album is that I can't nail down what exactly is working for me. But something is definitely working for me. Without planning it, I spent the rest of my day and into the evening listening to jazz. I revisited this album a handful of times over those hours. It just keeps giving.
дуже smooth
Very little Jazz history/experience. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed looking at 5 songs across 42 minutes. Anyway, here we go. 1st listen. Yeah its a lot. Songs felt overly long, every instrument gets a solo, and its all a bit same samey. Still there must be something I'm missing, It's got so many 5 out of 5s. So, did some research about Monk. Interesting cat, Turns out this is style of jazz is be bob. 2nd listen, yeah I'm appreciating it more. The solos feel less rambley and pointless. 3rd listen. Ok, this is pretty good. I would say I enjoy this. I haven't heard my other Monk albums yet, and as mentioned, my history of jazz is limited. I don't know if I'd actively listen to this gain, but would be great background music. I'm glad I listened to it. I believe there's 2 more Monk albums in the list, so I'm looking forward to listening to them later.
My rating 3.6. My second jazz album and nearly as good as the first ( Kind of Blue).
Every jazz album on this list so far I have loved and this is no exception. It seems more complex than some of the previous albums and to me not as smooth. That doesn't take away my enjoyment from the songs though. I just wish the album would have been a bit longer or a few more songs to get the variance you get when the artist starts a new track.
I have really leaned into jazz lately and this hits just right.
Fint jazz album, jeg ved desværre ikke nok om jazz til at give en bedre musikanalyse. Føler albummet gør sig glimrende til en aften fuld af planlægning og mystik!!
not in the mood for jazz today kinda crazy for 50s
I’m liking jazz
Melkein jätin kuuntelematta, mutta onneksi annoin mahdollisuuden, kuuntelin heti toisen kerran perään. Yksinkertaisen kuuloisia biisejä, kuitenkin kehittyvät hauskasti eteenpäin. Soitossa hyvää meininkiä, ei kuitenkaan liian täyteen tuutattua ja ilmavuus säilyy. Hyvä levy, vaikkeivät melodiat päähän jääkään soimaan.
#274/1001. Cool jazz. Hip, not hop. Most jazz here beats the rock albums here. 1001 jazz albums to ear before you die would be a far more interesting project.
2/16/26. Enjoyable jazz with no vocals. 7/10
Monk is always awesome.
Gets into a good groove and hits it very well. Solid jazz album.
First full jazz album from this era, and I really get the appeal. The unstructured and improvised nature of the music overall is so fun and easy to listen to especially as good studying music. Such a vibe and some songs had an incredibly funky and delicious melody with some wonderful instrumentation. Just the top of its craft and the beginning of what jazz would grow to.
This feels really impressive for 1957. Like, this is some crazy stuff! I don't know much about jazz, but I generally enjoy it when I hear it - especially the kind like this, which showcases virtuosity and creativity. Not an everyday listen for me, but it gave me some really nice vibes over the weekend.
Brilliant Corners is like a smoky jazz club, a trance-inducing, curious experience. Monk's offbeat, playful piano is pure magic 50s hard bop with a futuristic edge. The title track is amazing, complex but catchy, with Rollins and Roach making it super cool. It's a trip at first, but perfect if you let it wash over you. It demands attention as even with rough edges, the songs are brilliant. "Bemsha Swing" sealed the deal, a tough, amazing record that makes me want more jazz.
A welcome bit of variety. Not one I knew, which made it more enjoyable. The interplay between the performers was excellent, the rhythm section were fantastic and I enjoyed the rhythmic shifts.
The classic early days of jazz. Can’t beat it.
Thelonous is a fairly recent discovery for me, and I just absolutely love that controlled chaos he brings. This feels like a live album it’s so frenetic and spontaneous.
This is a super solid jazz album. It starts off a little janky (kind of in a good way though?), but pulls together quickly in the first track and remains good all of the way through. Hard bop can sometimes seem overly self-indulgent, but I don't quite get that feeling from this record. 3.75/5
A lot of jazz albums don't click with me. This isn't one of them. I liked this quite a bit. 3.75/5
I think this is the jazz album in the list that we have listened to yet. The song paces kept moving and the songs were not overly long.
Surprisingly good jazz album that makes you enjoy the jazz genre
Maybe not the best Monk album, but a really great album. The title track is crazy, and the rest of the album is vintage Monk. 3.5/5, and rounding it up mostly for the 1st track.
If you like a bit of jazz noodling for those nights in the conservatory sat byt the fire in your leather armchair, whiskey in hand and cigar in the other, looking out over a still moonlit lake, this album is for you. If you can't afford that, a nice quiet coffee-come -second hand bookshop will do. At last an album worthy of a list like this. From the mid 50s but this is still fresh today, sometimes a tight scramble, often a playful light hearted tinkling and at others a bold chorus big band sound. Each time I listen, I get something different. A great album but you have to be in that kinda mood to let it wash over you and take you places.
Always going to enjoy a good jazz album. This one has more of a piano focus for the mid tracks, but overall really complex and layered. A good listen, not one I'd go to often but more one I can appreciate for how varied it is.
Very nice jazz.
Classic jazz album. Very interesting sound, although not particularly easy to listen to.
Heard Before? Yes, indeed. Notes: - nice to see a few token jazz albums on this list, although I'm guessing it will all be safe, predictable choices like this. - that said, it really is a phenomenal album. five highly varied, complex, swinging and emotive compositions. - the title track sounds labored, and I read that the recording had to be stitched together. makes sense, it's brutally tricky. - more celesta everywhere! it's a gimmick, but a glorious one. - the bass is unremarkable, the alto sax sometimes seems lost and Max Roach plays it safe except on the solos, but who cares? this is Monk's set and he nails it. - even the comping is thrilling - I found myself ignoring a great Sonny Rollins solo just to pay attention. - this version of "I surrender dear" is my favorite, and one of my top solo piano jazz ballads. Verdict: Easy to love. Compositionally innovative, while staying grounded in accessible solos. Put in on in the background at your peril. Listen Again? There's a lot of Monk to go through and a whole universe of jazz beyond. It's a rare album that I revisit and I'm not sure this is one, as good as it is.
Enjoyed this one!
This was a great album. Energizing but not noisy, also great work background music. Four stars
I normally don't like jazz, but to deny Thelonious would be like denying Satriani or Yo-Yo Ma or Aphex Twin. This is excellent thinking music. His chords feel like they were carved out with a pocketknife. It's not groovy, but it sits there, built on angles and odd rhythms, giving you something to think with, and occasionally jumping up and biting you, giving you friction to think against. My Rating: 4/5
Monk gives you three pretty, uncomplicated notes before requiring you to sit up straighter and pay attention. This is the kind of music which today is often treated as background music, or easy listening. Maybe there’s some good in that, a sign that these aesthetic choices are becoming widely embraced and influencing contemporary definitions of beauty. And there’s certainly a lot of sweetness on this album. But there’s also a lot of “hard listening.” Chords that teeter on the edge of dissonance and sometimes go unresolved. Melodies that don’t stay still but slide in and out of focus. The beautiful photograph on the cover aptly reflects the experience of trying to keep up with all ten of Monk’s hands. This is an album with a lot to offer the repeat listener.
If this was just Monk I don't think the rating would be as high. Sonny Rollings, Clark Terry, Ernie Henry and ESPECIALLY Max Roach make this album. Why wasn't Roach highlighted on the cover like the other musicians? Anyway, the only sleeper track was the solo Monk piece "I Surrender Dear". His time doesn't jive with me on this one. Best track by far was "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" because I'm a sucker for a good bass solo and even a bigger sucker for some Max Roach.
Brilliant for sure, some really good stuff here made almost SEVENTY years ago. Wow
Monk’s touch is a bit heavy for my taste, but the overall sound was great. The title track and Bemsha Swing were my favorites, with both songs having great Sonny Rollins solos. The solo piano track was also very nice and tasteful:)
Songs went on too long and it all started to sound the same after a while, but still really charming. Makes me wanna go to a jazz club!
The first thing I listened to after dying from the flu all weekend and it was lovely ✨
This album made my tummy ache go away :)
A great album to study to.
Its not the genre that i usually listen to but i'm currently on my exam session so I listenned to it while studying and it helped me to focus so much, it was really pleasant
Short but very enjoyable
No. 87 this list has allowed me to listen to some excellent jazz albums, i’ve come to really appreciate the genre. i still feel like i dont know enough to critically rate it, i just sit back and enjoy it.
4 stars mainly because the drumming is fire. Reminds me of John Bonham. I could listen to an isolated drum track of this album. Not that the rest isn't good, but this style of jazz can be a little challenging to fully get into.
Every track is full of ideas and talent - is a little challenging to be a perfect record
Ça me donne des vibes de musique de Noël
A really nice Jazz album. Would be nice background music for studying!
We often hear about the importance of blues in the development of rick and other modern genres, but too often ignore innovative jazz artists like Monk. The experiments with alternative tunings, time signatures and deconstructed rhythms on the album are really interesting. They are even more impressive when you realize that Monk composed this stuff in the 50s. Cool stuff!
Good listen on my way to the football last night, Town beating Bristol City 2-0, good vibe, put me in a good mood⚽️🤩
Simple pure jazz. Perfect background music for devious side quests
Let’s get weird
A nice jazz album. Good easy listening.
Приятный джезз
Not bad
dosta dobar džez album koji mi je lijepo sjeo u knjižnici za čitanja. nije prekaotičan a nije ni jednostavno dosadan
Really nice. Not my usual style but I really enjoyed it.
La piece titre est invroyable.
Oh yeah, Monk is a genius.
Is this great jazz? I wish I knew. I liked it. Influence 5. Quality 4. Intangibles 4. Hits 3. I liked it 4.
Damn, that’s was some swinging jazz.
This is bopping hard Fav: Bemsha Swing Pannocia Brillant Corners I mean it's all really good stuff, like that Fela Kuti Live album I heard couple weeks ago for the first time this could be a five really
great for a dinner party
brilliant
I vibed even tho not what I usually listen to
7/10
First time listening to Mr. Monk. He has indeed earned such a badass name.
I was already familiar with Monk's collabs with Coltrane and a few of his late 60s live recordings, but I didn't know this album. It's a solid jazz record from start to finish, with a sweet vibe and fantastic perfomances by Monk, Rollins and Roach. It's clearly on the cerebral side (I'm sure I missed a lot of the subtleties involved due to my limited knowledge of hard bop), and it sometimes feel like it lacks a bit of fire - but it never gets boring, and the originality and complexity of Monk's compositions are obvious. Bemsha Swing has become such a classic, I think I've heard at least 3 or 4 different versions of it. The use of a bell-piano in Pannonica was a nice bonus, I don't think I had ever heard something like that before. Will definitely play again ! 7/10
I've been long time fan of Theolonious Monk one of the BeBop leader and his famous "Straight, no chaser". With no jazz skills, I don't feel legitimate to judge bit it's a good listen.
Good stuff
revolutionary jazz album, def a pioneer of it's time period!!
liked it but not really a jazz fan. still 4 stars
Panonnica was beautiful
There's only one Thelonious Monk... album on this list, so listen up. While obviously not as important as acts like Joy Division or Pixies (who have several required listening albums), Thelonious Monk's innovative rhythmic style did leave a mark on jazz. This is very much a textbook on improvisation and soloing and feels more like it should be studied than listened to "for fun" (as I've mentioned on other jazz album reviews). This kind of highly technical composition lends itself to being "music for nerds", but those nerds start jam bands or invent prog rock and suddenly the ideas are creeping into the mainstream. For me, jazz is great background music when I'm working with my hands. Its busy enough that I can't entirely zone it out and that means my mind stays focused on what I'm working on instead of wandering onto a 3rd thing. This would be a great addition to my workshop rotation.
Brilliant indeed.
No conocía a Thelonious Monk, que bestia. Gran álbum
Very enjoyable
Bien, agradable, pero no me emocionó como otros discos que he escuchado de Thelonious. Supongo que él mismo puso la vara demasiado alta. Pero el cuarteto que se juntó aquí sí logra varios momentos brillantes.
Why was this 10 hours long