Reviews (page 5 of 13)
Not my favorite Monk album, but worth a listen.
Bom jazz?
Not for me
I remember quite liking Monk's stuff in the past but this album is kinda weak to me. On monst of the tracks it feels like there's an instrument missing - they feel incomplete.
Simultaneously accessible and adventurous jazz, with great performances across its often demanding material.
Track by track: Brilliant Corners: 10/10 Bu-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are: 9/10 Pannonica: 8/10 I Surrender Dear: 8/10 Bemsha Swing: 9/10 88/100 total—5 stars I’ve only really listened to the jazz “essentials”—like, Kind of Blue, A Love Supreme, etc—and the only one of those I really *got* without much effort or research was The Shape of Jazz to Come. Jazz is the genre I know the least about. I can say that this has really cool drums, though, and the solos do a great job with filling space in a creative way. It’s not as good as the jazz albums I have to compare it to but it sounds pretty good so what the hell.
Listened while reading, pretty good!
Jazz doesn't get much better than this! Famed American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk leads his tight-knit ensemble (including fellow great Sonny Rollins and his impressive tenor sax work) through five momentous tracks full of tuneful rhythm and feel. Jazz often has a knack for being improvisational and loose, but 'Brilliant Corners' is surprisingly focused for a jazz record. The songs succinctly roll into each other, and everything sounds tasteful and full of character. 'Brilliant Corners' is a great summation of Monk's brilliance as an arranger and, not unlike Miles Davis, brings oodles of cool to the jazz genre. Best songs: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Luez-Are, Pannonica
I thought it would be better
Possibly over my head, but I enjoyed it.
Schöne Jazz Platte. Während der ersten 2-3 Songs dachte ich, dass das auf eine vier oder fünf Sterne Wertung hinauslaufen kann, hinten raus ist es mir dann aber irgendwann auf die Nerven gegangen. Dennoch einfach guter Jazz, kann man wenig gegen sagen.
Kann ich musikalisch irgendwie schon appreciaten, aber gibt mir persönlich wirklich wahnsinnig wenig.
Schön mal ein Jazz-Album zu hören, bei denen das Klavier mehr im Vordergrund steht. Fand ich sehr cool.
Boah, Jazz ist irgendwie Hit or Miss...
Sicherlich ein gutes Album. Geht smooth runter. Ich traue mir aber auch gar nicht zu, dass eigentlich wirklich gut bewerten zu können.
Das mag was für Musiklehrer sein, für mich ist es Fahrstuhlmusik.
Probably my favorite jazz pianist
Swingin' and vibin'
Eu gosto mais de música quando tem letra mesmo :/
would be better live but very nice
It's a good album, I don't really know what to say about it.
Pretty nice jazz album, about half the songs were enjoyable but not much sets it apart from other jazz albums I've heard
Not bad, but def not something I would ever want to listen to.
Not brilliant at all
pling pling plong fwiet fwiet twiedeldie twiedelda... niet mijn kopje thee
4.1 2x
This effort has a timeless sound. Such an influence that I can imagine more than a handful of acts bringing similar quality to some of my local jazz clubs and bars. To think this album could be my parent, and yet has the smooth glow of genius traveling through it from start to finish that I could just fall in love with. Don't look into my soul like that, Thelonious. Let's just finish this off with the quality of that album cover. This is 1957, no Photoshop. A well dressed Monk circles himself with five* of his own bodies, joyfully looking out in every direction. Not a hand or a finger in sight. This feels normal in passing, and when you pay attention you see there's something extraordinary happening in plain sight. Let the image sink in, then mix it with the music. 4.85/5
This record reminded me what I don’t like about jazz. I really tried to listen to it and I made through the complete record. But it’s just not mine.
This is the type of jazz I do not like.
Could keep listening on repeat
A perfect jazz album
This reset my brain?
Tipo de música que eu iria curtir como banda de fundo num barzinho com a galera. Parece que to ouvindo soundtrack de The Sims, nostálgico. Bem feito, bom som. 3*
I enjoyed this, I thought it was progressive and Brilliant Corners was a strong way to start the album. I particularly liked Bue-La. But I don’t think his best songs are on this album so I thought this was kind of an odd pick for the album list
It's probably not fair to compare an album like this to one that has lyrics. The music may be great, but it would be hard to just sit and listen to the whole album unless you're waiting in a doctor's office.
Life is simply too short to listen to jazz. I turned this off during the 20 minute second song. I am just not a jazz guy. You could tell me this is the best jazz in history or the worst, either way I’d believe you. “Just play the right notes.” -Angela Martin, Accounting
Man that’s a lot of horns
Good jazz album.
Very chill, would def listen to more by him
Too discordant
A good classic jazz
Further confirmation that jazz is not for me.
Couldn't get through the whole album. Don't mind jazz but this was not good.
I completely just don't get this type of free-form jazz piano. I'm sure people who get it see the artistry, but to me it always just sounds like playing piano terribly
(1/5 liked songs = 20%) There were no songs I didn't enjoy. But there also were no songs I really really liked. I don't know if that makes any sense.
Excellent album
The kind of music that perfectly soundtracks a morning of driving in heavy winds and on icy roads. My car and those around me moving to the music
I don't really like jazz, which is to say I don't really *get* jazz. It's all kind of flighty and truly and a bit hard to listen to. But not this one. This one is pretty goddamned good.
Background music
This is what I think about when I think about Jazz. "Dinner music" in the best possible way. Like if "Dinner" was cocktails in a smokey lounge.
Freeform jazz. It's fine.
det här är att leka musik på bästa sätt
Experimentellt och bra spelat, men mycket är inte så värst spännande att lyssna på? Gillar de lugnare låtarna mer ärligt talat, de får albumet till en fyra :)
Made me feel cultured, but I didn't ultimately enjoy it all that much. Best as background noise.
Not my cup of tea
Jazz is Jazz. Can only listen for so long. Enjoyed it though.
I can dig it. Can't believe I went this long without knowing cruella de ville was a rip off (song #2)
Brilliant
Beautiful jazz
Mid
Can't get into jazz
Sophisticated, cool. Lots of depth. 4.4 stars.
I cannot figure this jazz thing out. When a rock album has a jazz feel, I usually like it, but the jazz albums on this list, just don't do it for me. This sounds more like an impromptu jam session, but nothing connects. Everyone is doing their own thing. 2.0
Gotta say the jazz was not really doing it for me
Acceptable jazz. 2.5/5
Max Roach’s DNA must be injected into every living drummer today.
Satisfying jazz noise, unfortunately comes off as background music - needs the right ambient to be enjoyed fully.
I haven't listened to a ton of Jazz but I have actually listened to this one before! Obviously Thelonious is incredible, but I actually don't find this album my favorite, it's a little too--I don't know--discordant, for my taste? Really just don't like some of the noises, I am sure it's much better as a sit down, focused album but that's not when I really listen to jazz, at least not live
1=Bad 2=Okay 3=Good 4=Great 5=Fantastic Not too much to say for me, I'm just not that crazy about saxophone forward bebop. Sometimes. If I'm in just the right mood.
Good
First time listening to an instrumental piano jazz album. It was neat. Short tracklist that still managed to spill into the north of 40 minutes territory. Nothing sonically stood out like crazy, but i respect it.
1 brilliant corners -- lovely sax and drums. 2 ba-lue -- peak walking aronud the city music 3 pannonica -- prob my fav i liked the melody 4 i surrender, dear -- joyous piano i fucked w it. heavier ig 5 bemsha swing -- nice instrumentation overall love jazz and good crocheting music. sometimes repetitive and long af but im not used to this type of music so whateva
stuff like this makes the list because it’s proved it’s worth over the last 70 years. and will never stop being worth listening to
Jazz je i predobar je. nemam ništa pametno za reć osim da sam baš guštala hehe :* ne mogu ni rec best track jer su mi se mashale u jednu jbg hhh
Monk set the bar for cool, for Jazz, for life. This album is complex jazz that only Konk can do. 5/5
Love Monk. Solid 4, I think.
Solid jazz - not mind blowing but solid as hell. THREE
I remain an inarticulate clod who failed jazz history in college, but I likes what I likes. And I likes when the different instruments have big personalities and interplay. Brilliant Corners' title track is like a conversation between the horns and the drums. Maybe its for the studied jazz initiates to know what they're saying. Ba-Lue Bolivar is a little more even-keeled, but it's not like you can have a bad time with a good sax. The bass has a great solo at the end. Pannonica and I Surrender chill out and get loungy. Not a lot for a jazz clod to latch on to. But then Bemsha Swing swings back, with some great grooves that let the sax and piano shine. Love those big drum builds that drop back into walking bass grooves. I don't know that it's that transcendent of an album, but it sounds like good jazz to me. I bet everyone had a nice time.
Very cool vibe.
Groovy jams, man, I can dig it. Fun album, well recorded. Definitely a jazz classic.
Random note jazz with no structure. Fits my 1 star criteria : after listening to entire album there is not a single "tune/sequence" in any song I would remember
Meh wasnt that moving. Felt a bit random and repetitive.
Always sounding like himself, Monk has a style all his own. His unique approach blends perfectly with the two different smokin line ups contained within these recordings.
Some great monk! Definitely like his solo Piano stuff a little more but shout out Sonny Rollins. 3.5
Good! Wish I knew more about jazz so I could be a better judge of like what exactly I’m listening to. Could tell this was experimental/cutting edge stuff for its time, but not much beyond that. Still enjoyed!
Soothing, good background music
Great jazz
I get how influential and important jazz is to music history, but you could play all the jazz albums on this list in whatever order and I would not be able to differentiate them for the most part. I love a good horn section and honestly the smoother stuff is always a treat to listen to.
Another day, another jazz album, another 3 stars
Didn't super vibe with this, still solid playing but it's a 3
I enjoyed the music, but I felt like it’s a bit better served contributing to a nice cozy morning and not as much as an active listening experience. Best Track: Pannonica
Decent Jazz I don't need to hear again
Exceptional Jazz.
Im at the start of my journey into Jazz. I found stuff i loved, stuff ive hated, stuff i didnt understand and stiff i was ambivalent to. This falls into the ambivalent category, but thats probably because i dont understand it. It was pleasant and ticked along nicely without grabbing me. Im sure i'll circle back around to this in the future, but currently i didnt find a foothold in it.
Great jazz
I dont listen to a lot of jazz but this is nice idk, I dont have a great ear for it. so I feel like I can’t connect as much to it. but its okay.
Not my favorite cup of tea but a solid jazz album.
Brilliant
Das Problem beim Jazz ist immer, ich habe keine Ahnung ob das jetzt besonders gut oder scheiße ist. Ich mag einfach dieses Gedudel manchmal. So wie hier.
Not a big fan of real jazz...too disconnected
Great musicians, I just don't like instrumental jazz. At all.
Added a song but the rest wasn't really for me. I'm yet to get really into jazz.
Thelonious Monk, legendary creature - monk Amazing stuff, props for production as well. You could hear the guy humming along with the piano. First song starts out with straight up Gentle Giant prog material. Last song is an absolute banger
I fear Jazz. I fear the lack of boundaries.
Always such great jazz by Thelonious - punchy without being overbearing, highly enjoyable
Not a fan of Jazz
I'm sure it's good but it's a bit jazzy init
Nah
ehh not my vibe
really like this one a lot, definite go-to for a day like the rainy sunday I listened to it on
This is to jazz what breakcore is to EDM, just the full "we've found a melody/motif/style, so let's immediately abandon it and find another" tactic. When it's good it's good, but a lot of the time it was just a bit background for me.
To experimental jazz for my liking
Pretty solid.
the one and only! one of the first jazz musicians who I started to really identify with charts from. Blue Monk was one of my favourite charts to play in high school.
- I guess it sounds like it could be fun for the people soloing, who are clearly talented musicians, but this music leaves me cold, and I don’t want to be on the journey with them.
Nice but not my speed
Another jazz album. It’s fine, it’s decent background music but I definitely didn’t need to hear this and it’s not my favorite
Un génie. J’irai avec la recommandation de 2 documentaires. Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser de Charlotte Zwerin, sorti en 1988. Rewind & Play de Alain Gomis de 2022.
Drôle de coincidence, je commentais justement la façon non de prendre ses "puffs" non orthodoxe à Paulo ce week-end. Je lui disais de keep weird comme Thelonious Monk, on s'en fout de la technique! Sonny Rollins aussi un de mes saxophonistes prefs du hard bop, The Bridge et Saxophone Colossus à écouter ++. Je ne connaissais pas cet album mais je conaissais Pannonica. Vraiment des structured de pièces weird ce Monk, mais toujours plaisant à l'oreille.
Agréable!
He's got a great name for Jazz. Despite getting onto double figure Jazz albums the Jazz penny has yet to drop for me. This was okay but still not getting it.
Brilliant Corners Not my favourite jazz album we’ve had, but far from my least favourite. When the sax and trumpets drop out around 3 minutes in on Brilliant Corners and it’s a passage of his brilliant piano playing shifting tempo and harmony it’s superb. And while the quality of the horn playing is obviously great, there’s a tone to how it’s recorded on this record, like it’s slightly distorted and tinny and scratchy, that I find a bit distracting at best and rather irritating at worst. It mainly follows that similar pattern; some great passages, excellent piano playing, particularly when the horns drop out and it’s just piano, bass and drums (eg around 9 mins on Bar-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are), skilled but distracting horns and slight sense of meandering around a composition. The Celesta on Pannonical varies this slightly, but again the horns end up taking away from the whole a little and Bemsha Swing has a great groove at least, but I Surrender, Dear is my favourite track, eschewing horns and focussing on the piano. I think it's a solid 3 - I didn’t connect with it as much as others, but I’d be happy giving it more listens. 🎹🎹🎹 Playlist submission: I Surrender, Dear
This felt like the swing of Ellington, but deconstructed. You know when Heston Blumenthal makes an apple crumble and he puts the apple on one side of the plate, the crumble on the other and the custard in another room. This feels like the swing version of that. The band feels very intuitive especially on that first track where the tempo is changing. It's obviously based around rehearsed motifs but doesn't lose a very nice improvisational feel. In summary, the album doesn't sound overly of the be-bop school of improvisation, it doesn't sound big band swing, but it sounds somewhere in between. There are elements and passages I loved, but it didn't keep me entirely captivated.
нормалек, без негатива.
"The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio", so if my maths is correct this album took approximatley 1 billion years to record
I didn’t like this. It sounded jarring and I just couldn’t get past that unfortunately. Maybe I’m just an untrained jazz listener, but I felt it lacked soul.
Found some of the patterns challenging but that could be because I’m tired. Really like the variety of instruments across the record. The double bass section on ‘Ba-Lue Bolivar…’ is really good.
wonderful jazz album which is perfect for rainy winter days
I turned this on while cooking and it offered a cinematic backtracking to my actions. That being said, if I wasn’t using this as an enhancement to another activity, I’d be unable to focus. This did inspire some curiosity in me and I want to listen to more jazz, so I’m hoping another jazz album pops up along this journey soon.
i like this way more than back at the chicken shack
Gorgeous. Yes to everything classically-trained-musician said about Monk that I wouldn't know how to say, just that I love his weird way with bending piano notes and making your ears squirm. I liked every song better than the one before, just gave it a single listen because I know I'll be back to this one.
First listen I was unfamiliar with this particular album of Monk's, and I'm so glad it came across my path. I already knew I liked his music, and this album only served to solidify my appreciation of his unique style. This is an album I am probably going to listen to many times—already I have replayed the first 30 seconds of Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are at least six–seven times just to figure out what's happening in the last four bars of the head. I did the math—because it's fun, of course—and instead of four groups of four, Monk splits the last 16 beats into groups of three and two: 3 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 16. Second listen Monk's solo on Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are is a good example of his unique style. He uses tritones to add tension and dissonance in his improvised melodies, straying from the key just long enough for it to almost feel uncomfortable before bringing us home again. He also moves between registers of the piano with whole-tone scale runs, briefly obscuring the key each time. I also really liked Monk's use of simple voicings and "walking" lines while comping for the other solos. --- I also wanted to include a comment from the YouTube video for the title track: "Haven't heard this album for several years, and yes it is indescribably brilliant. Probably have a few hundred listenings racked-up between my ears, and hearing it just now after a long break has blown my head clear off, reduced my body to a puddle, and sent my soul to Godknowswhere." – @TommysHandle, YouTube user.
I played a french horn piece in university called Blues and Variations for Monk. I must've listened to at least some Thelonious Monk to prepare for that, but I have no recollection. Listening to this now, I can absolutely hear the aspects of Monk's style that the piece was drawing from. He makes use of interesting intervals and harmonies that are a bit dissonant, but the overall sound is still quite consonant. I really enjoyed this album. 8.5/10.
More jazz. As mentioned before I don’t know what to tell you about Jazz. It’s good though.
I thought this was a really pretty and cool album
This was nice, at some times very nice. Best enjoyed when drinking a martini, by a marble fireplace, dressed in some fancy attire. Not that I did any of those things, but if I did, it would have achieved maximum niceness.
Interesting but probably won't revisit
Fabulous jazz album, such a talented artist with a good sense of rhythmic timing
It was glorious and soothing from start to finish. Jazz the most intricate genre in music is exemplified by the work of Mr. Monk.
There is no music he could make that would ever be as cool as his name is, and this is evidence of that.
Solid jazz
I Surrender Dear - bro is PLAYING that piano Pure dinner party vibes, getting this on vinyl
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would since Jazz is decidedly not my thing. Never going to relisten, but it was pleasant.
Piano and sax. I can't get enough. This a great, and makes me partially regret getting a Monk collection, instead of individual albums. Good stuff.
Jazz
eclectic. dont think its his best work tho
I'm not a jazz fan. But can appreciate this
(81/100)
I hate jazz.
7/10 - pretty cool jazz
Need to get a better listen in TBH. This was not a great Halloween album.
3 stars for respect for Monk and his legacy. But not for me
Nice Friday morning jazz album. Sounded like 101 Dalmatians and Sinatra at times.
I liked it. Didn’t know where one song ended and the next began. Maybe that’s a good thing. Probably a 3.5 for me but I’m keeping it a 3.
Really enjoyable jazz for a long drive, some of the songs went a little longer than I would have preferred, but that's kinda the whole thing. Would love to listen on a hifi with good headphones. 3.5 rounded down
As ever with jazz I don’t have the ear or the context to judge whether this album is objectively ‘good’ or important (though I’ve no doubt Thelonius was both); I can only try and judge whether I enjoyed hearing it. I liked tracks 1 and 5, which were upbeat and had strong, angular hooks (are these the titular ‘Brilliant Corners?’). My interest dipped during the solos though, and the other tracks faded into background listening too easily for me. A pretty neutral 2.5 stars.
Jazz never really pisses me off it, just is there solid i'd say, love a good upright bass 3/5 7.42/10
Solid classic jazz album. Still waiting on Tabitha Soren to let me know who "the lonliest monk" is, though. 4 stars.
Tremendous.
Perfection! I could listen to Monk all day.
Fun one! The recording is very nice and makes you feel like you are in the room with them, we hear each player very well and they all play very nicely. Definitely heard some of those melodies before, although I don't know enough about Jazz history to know whether this is the "referred" or the "referrer" :P
Pretty good album, very nice to listen to while doing working. I haven't been able to pay close attention to the music, but I'm sure there's a lot of think about based off of the small blurbs I could catch. Definitely an artist I will continue to seek out.
Ok, I’ll start on a positive note because I don’t really have much else in the way of positivity for this album as a whole. I think the name Thelonious Monk is pretty great. I don’t know if that’s the guys name, the name of the band, or even a stage name, but it’s pretty cool. Part of the charm is that I have no idea, and don’t care enough to google it to find out. Ok, so that’s what was good about the album, now the negatives. It’s more Jazz. I don’t understand Jazz, and every time I think I’m starting to finally get it and roll a Jazz album I like, I soon after end up rolling an album like this, and just strongly dislike it. It’s just boring man, plus the lack of a structure doesn’t soothe me, it gives me anxiety. The overbearing piano and trumpet just make me dizzy. I don’t like this. I recognize and am easily able to appreciate the greatness and talent of the band, but personally I would never seek any of this out, and will not be returning to Mr. Monk, if that is in fact his real name. I just don’t get it. I’ll chalk it up to that and simply be satisfied knowing that I gave this one an honest attempt by listening to it all day. It’s Jazz, I can’t pick a favorite. Sorry. It’s between “Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are” and “Bemsha Swing”. Those were at least bearable.
Mwah.
4/10
I'd really love to love jazz. A seemingly endless possibility of music. But it's so difficult to "latch" onto. There's no discernible merits of a "song" anywhere. No verses, choruses, memorable hooks, riffs or vocal lines to hum to (I know that's not the point of jazz but my point stands). This is a genre of music that you have to judge as a whole, because it does just sound like endless wankery. Plucking notes seemingly at random, with every instrument getting their turn at a solo. No doubt technically amazing, but utterly useless to listen to. Music only to those actually playing it. At no point did I say "Oh, I liked that bit" because it's over and done with and forgotten about by the time you've analysed it in your head. Strangely I did kind of like it though. There absolutely is just something about it. But again, there's nothing I can pick out or point to. Jazz like this for me is purely vibes, and background music. I give not just this album, but the whole genre of jazz and all of it's sub genres two stars. I did like it, but I honestly don't think I know of a situation that I'd choose to put this on.
I've never listened to this album (40). Great jazz. Loved Bemsha Swing.
That’s some great jazz. Excellent from first track to the last
Really good! Listened to while journaling! Loved Pannonica!
9/10, made me realize I love jazz music
I love this album.
Slowly growing on me. At first, I really didn't like it but I think I've changed my mind.
Monk! Not my favorite, but it's a great listen.
I took a long break from the generator and have been working through a backlog. For some reason, my Sex Pistols review was also posted on this album. I've never listened to it so I'll need to come back
Not my thing
How can one not enjoy the melodic offerings of T.Monk?? A treat amongst the ear-dribble so often selected on this list.
Quiet piano music in the background. I quite like it.
Malo previše bopast bop za moje kapacitete.
Jag orkar inte.
sublime. can't find any faults here he's effortless the music just wafts through like it's meant to be there
In person, this would have another star. Amazing skill, but it gets a little lost in the environment.
I get it's impact - intellectually. You can hear elements that would be built upon in the coming generation. But as a pure listening experience it doesn't really transcend the time. Whereas Saxophone Colossus (Sonny R is standout on this album) Blue Train, Mingus Ah um and Kind of Blue and Moanin all continue to titillate this album fails to escape the time outside of Bemsha Swing which totally swings. Certainly a worthy entry into the canon. And an enjoyable enough listen.
It’s fine
Perfecto
I've tried Thelonious Monk a couple times before and always just bounced off, not sure why. Started listening to this one, and was afraid the same thing was happening, but finally after a minute or two into the third song "Pannonica" it clicked for me. I still don't think I would seek most of these songs out, but very enjoyable to sit back and vibe to. "Pannonica" is my fave on here.
Solid jazz album.
Yep, pretty sure it’s jazz.
Some pretty tasty jazz!
Overall pretty good, i'm not a huge jazz fan but I'm a casual jazz listener. I think the 2nd half of the album was more interesting and I'm going to go with a 4 overall
So loose it's always on the verge of falling apart. Monk's piano playing is crazy. Amazing album.
sounds like a toddler was let loose on the instruments.
Enjoyed - but didn’t grab me - perhaps one to revisit
This was my first time hearing Thelonious Monk, and while I didn't add anything to my Liked Songs, I enjoyed it. Solid 3 star listen.
I mean come on, it's Monk.
Not much to say about this album, it is just instrumental piano jazz.
Noodling around, dubious use of melody, they've made the saxophone annoying.
Moderate enthusiasm
A solid, well-rounded jazz album. Nothing to complain about here, just smooth, skillful playing throughout.
Theolonious Monk oli ainoastaan tuttu nimeltä ja jo ensimmäisestä torven pihahduksesta tiesin, että tää tulee olemaan erittäin raskas kuuntelu. En oo mikään jatsin ystävä ja kyllähän jatsi on ihan silkkaa paskaa mun korville. Kuuntelin kuitenkin albumin kokonaan, vaikka teki heti mieli jättää kesken...
Makes me want to be sat in a dark & ambient cocktail bar sipping on a negroni. Classical jazz isn’t my usual cup of tea, but I can definitely see the appeal of this album. It is overwhelmingly complex and intricate, making for a pleasant but challenging listen. There are instrumental elements that are obviously superb and the band seem to be in perfect harmony, but ultimately this style of music for me isn’t for everyday.
The vibes are fine, just not for me. I don't know why anyone would choose to listen to jazz in 2025, but if they do, good for them. All jazz sounds about the same to me. There might be some interesting rhythms, but it's all the same to me and it all puts me to sleep.
This is fun. I enjoyed my time, but I don't want to listen to jazz for at least a week and a half after this.
This is one of those jazz guys where I know the name, but not the music. These musicians are top notch. I’m settling in for a journey and enjoying the ride here. Track 2 “ba-lue…” is my favorite track so far. I love the space, the melody, the fact that I feel like I’m in the room with them. The bass solo in this song is great. Everyone drops out, even the drums. The way he plays with time and still keeps it. Then the drums come back in for a solo. This album is phenomenal.
Way ahead of his time. Monk is brilliant and oh so very cool. There are bumps, Monk is not always fully up technically to his vision and the band feels fragmented at times, but it's a great album despite those flaws.
i like itttttt. idk what else to say. it DOESN’T sound schmaltzy the way a lot of this piano jazz tends to sound (in my opinion). i wonder what the distinction is between this and, say, the bill evans album we listened to….?
very lovely!
Not bad for jazz
Non eccezionale,.mi aspettavo di più
Once again I am reminded that I don't like jazz very much, but good job lads
Ihan toimivaa jazzia, ei vaan parasta työmatkalle tietty vaan keskittyneempään kuunteluun.
Jazz isn't exactly my genre and it's tough for me to trace what modern Jazz is drawing from this album, but I imagine it's a lot since I've heard so many student bands trying their hand at this kind of improvisation, and it's not easy to get it to sound good. This one sounds good. However, while I think the piano is great, there's way too much sax and the sax isn't that great. I really want to hear more of Monk's piano, and this album gives only a taste of it. As it stands, this album has its moments, but that's about it.
Jazz isn't typically my thing, but this was great background music to a quiet morning. I think I like jazz more when I'm not actively listening to it, and instead letting it deep into the background of whatever I'm doing, letting it dictate the tempo.
I mean it was ok, I actually didn't notice when it switched over to another artist. Pretty boring stuff but good for what it was I guess.
Mily jazzik
Monk may not be my favorite jazz pianist of all time, but there’s no denying his mastery of the form. For some reason, there’s always just been something about his playing that doesn’t grip me and capture my attention like, say, Oscar Peterson or Keith Jarrett. That being said, this was a joy to listen to, and any record with Monk and Sonny is a damn good record in my book. Fave songs: - Brilliant Corners - Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are - I Surrender Dear - Bemsha Swing
Superb. One of the great jazz albums of all time. Creative, unconventional (even 70 years on), incredible musicianship, and truly original compositions. Nice.
I really enjoyed this album. I love the clarinet and mood of it.
Every so often I find myself wishing I had studied music more at an academic level so when I listen to jazz, I can say things like, “oh my gosh, I can’t believe he just did that!“ As it is, the best I can do is say, “that wasn’t bad to listen to.“
Another challenging artist; Monk purposely chooses notes that sound like mistakes, but end up working in the context of the full composition. This is an album that grows on a person, and it sounds better and better with each listen. Not my normal choice for jazz, but it is good; Having a difficult time rounding up.
This is a jazz album. My overall view of jazz remains unchanged. He does have a very cool name, though.
Good jazz.
This is good but I don’t know enough about jazz to say anything beyond that.
I will trust the editors that this is good jazz. Them musicians are clearly good but nothing here really hit me very strongly. Insane that Sonny Rollins is still alive.
no into it; decided I am not a jazz person
I LOVE JAZZ
Really high 3. Not my favorite monk. Maybe like a 3.75
I can appreciate this. Just not my jam.
I like this. Monk was a legend, and has done some amazing work. This is not his best, but him, Sonny Rollins? Can’t go wrong. 6/10
ooooh that jazz. feels like I need to let it cook more
It is brilliant. No more to say. Five stars.
Jazz. Good for deep focus and background noise
It's honestly surprising how I considered myself a jazz enthusiast but I put this one on and could barely tell apart each track from this album. It's nice to put in a cafe or as background work music.
Very pleasant and easy listening.
Jazz isn't really my thing. I try to like it, but I can't seem to. Pleasant enough, though
Monk is monk
Masters of jazz like Mr. Monk have enriched all of the music we listen to. But as I've said before, I am not a skilled listener of high level jazz. I enjoyed some of this album but I am certain I was supposed to enjoy it more. Because of the xylophone work on Pannonica, it reminds me of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, probably not what the artists had in mind. I am sure the work is genius, but I can only measure my appreciation, which is middling, I fear. 3/5
I mean, it's jazz. I don't get jazz yet.
Didn't listen. Not my jam.
Cool cat jazz, feels like driving a taxi in 1970 NYC. Groovy.
Don't like jazz but didn't hate it. I like jazz drummers.
I don’t know why I don’t listen to more jazz. I thought I’d like this and I do. Edgy dissonance, and unexpected rhythmic choices contrasts more conventional melodies. Spiky piano, sultry rhythm, but sax playing isn’t especially stand out to me. Stand out tracks: Brilliant Corners. Those first few bars are mind blowing
This took me back to when I was in my high school's jazz band and we played music like this. 2/5 overall - 1 for the memories = 1/5 In all seriousness, this album made me remember why I don't like jazz. I understand that the musicians here must have technical expertise in their playing, but it doesn't sound like it. But who am I to critique their musical prowess? I just can't believe the music sound so disorganized and badly executed.
Nice Jazz, one point off because it's so short. 4/5
God I love me some ‘50s jazz, especially Monk. Just a classic. 4/5
good reading music
Didn’t get to listen to the whole thing but great group and Monk has a sense for the piano unlike anyone else. Enjoyed it.
Listened as background at work. Liked it would like to listen again
Jazz, not my vibe. Cool name though
Niiiiice. Wonderfully performed and produced record. Not necessarily the sort of stuff I'd listen to on the daily, but really great. Favourite tracks: the whole thing.
Jazz not my bag
Love the Timpani throughout, but nothing much strikes me beyond that.
Jazz. Didn’t strike me as particularly special or groundbreaking
Amazing
I found this to be a great background play, whilst cooking dinner. Great!
Really iconic - cannot believe this was made in 1957.
Love it! Another great album this week. Good background fodder, plainly plonk piano and Sonny on sax. Fave tracks: “Bemsha swing” and “brilliant corners”.
Didn't really get it.
good jazz
They sound really loose, like they're enjoying it I know many jazz performances of this time were pretty heavily rehearsed-- I wonder how much they enjoyed this?
muy prodigioso, pero no lo volvería a escuchar
My favorite Thelonious Monk album. “Not always beautiful, but always exciting” - some critic
I like jazz. So this is getting four stars. It's just good, calming listening. The most challenging thing about this album are the track names. Top tracks: "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are," "Bemsha Swing," "Brilliant Corners"
It's a solid jazz album. In context it's tough to see what might make this album better than a lot of other jazz albums from 1955-1965. However, it was fairly early in that span.
I'm officially fed up with jazz. This album sounds like every other jazz record. I'm not saying that all jazz albums are rubbish, but "Brilliant Corners" is one of the disappointing ones. The piano bits are nice to hear. Let's hope I don't get another bad album. 2 stars for "Brilliant Corners".
Interesting
Exceptional sessions. Love Roach and how he holds a groove. No wonder it’s on the list.
I don't like all jazz, but I like some, and this is one that I like a lot.
I liked this one. Brilliant Corners and Pannonica were the two highlights. Wish I understood jazz a bit more to classify it a little further than “I liked it” but alas
I mean sure. But also no.
It’s probably my uncultured ear, but this was a more than pleasant jazz album. Can tell there is talent, great arrangement and thought but just not knocked off my feet and also hard to distinguish sometimes. Hadn’t realised it had looped back to the start of the album and that pretty much sums it up for me. My bad, but just my experience! (3.5)
3.5
2.5
Astounding album!
I liked it a lot.
I don’t know much about jazz, but I think this was good?
It was alright. Too early in the morning for jazz I think
I’m not even sure how to comment on this album except to say that I loved it. The musicianship is brilliant (no pun intended). I was entranced and wanted to dance and romance throughout the album. I’ll definitely revisit this one often. My actual rating is 4.5 as it’s nearly a perfect album.
great instrumental music
Fav: Bemshaw Swing
Very engaging album
Very jazzy but laid back, no vocals, not really my thing but still nice to listen to
Couldn’t listen to this today some days I jus can’t hack Jazz
Jazz continues to be shit.
"40 minutes for only 5 songs??????? oh nvm its jazz"
I'm not huge into Jazz but this was a good vibe album for a Sunday morning tea on the balcony.
For lack of a better phrase, this album feels like a “grower, not a shower”. I’m sure the more you listen to this the better it gets. There’s a lot of great instrumentation and things that define “jazz”. But it’s also the type of jazz to fill a room to play at a dinner party just to fill the silence.
Wildly ahead of its time. Along with The Shape of Jazz to Come and Kind Of Blue its post-bop but way more controlled than Coleman and way more unexpected than Davis this is the pinnacle of how far you can bend western song structures. Not sure how I feel about some of the solos in Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are. There's a style of bass playing that justifies a solo (see Scott LaFaro in the Live at the Village Vanguard album on this list) but while Pettiford is a great player just playing out the rhythm doesn't really do it for me. Roach is a bit better in the follow up but the song is dragging a bit by then. Bemsha Swing is the highlight. A slightly more conventional number that lets you really watch Roach and Monk go at it.
71/100. A solid jazz record. While not the most innovative for its era, it still stands as a quality listen.
I absolutely don't know enough about Jazz to rate this. But I enjoyed it, so it gets a 4
It’s not for me. It’s probably an amazing album for its fans, but jazz doesn’t really grab me.
I know Thelonious Monk was a really big deal in the jazz world, but I’d never given him much of a listen because I’m not much of a jazz guy. But, I like this record pretty good. The dude is crazy talented, even if I probably can’t appreciate all the complexity of what he’s actually doing. I probably won’t start listening to a ton of jazz after hearing this, but it’s pretty interesting. 3.5/5
Jazz is like the Iceland of music
You call a mf Thelonious and he's gonna make great jazz, you know this to be true. 3.5* (aware that's a little low but trade jazz like this doesn't necessarily move me although it's technically impressive)
jazz. Det er ikke min smag, men det lyder som om det er en god plade for dem der er til den slags. 2
Good jazz album and great for the fall season. Hard to compare this to the Bill Evans trio album that came before this in the queue. Monk is legendary.
it was ok. another jazz album in a row i'm gonna lose it tho
at least a 4
Great album needed to get into the mood for it ended up finding it was way better when I was alone. It was later at night. Parts of the music were very soothing to me but other parts just cause anxiety, which is not unique to my man monk, but all jazz and classical music becomes a bit overwhelming for me. Art should invoke emotion and artistry. Here is phenomenal. Nature of the genre is to take you on a journey and for me I like when that journey is a little bit open ended and has room to breathe but with jazz it’s like reading Lord of the rings instead of a fun quick Bukowski read. There’s some other monk albums that I would also like to see on the list.
I like jazz. This is jazz alright. Jazz is good or bad and this is good. But I don’t jazz hard enough to distinguish good jazz from great jazz, other than me gravitating towards it for reasons unknown.