Reviews (page 6 of 13)
Absolutely fantastic jazz album
Ba-Lue, more like Cruella. Bitchin vibes and standards. 3.75/5
An enjoyable listen. I don't appreciate bop enough to really drill into the details of this album, but I'm glad I listened to it.
Could get behind this kind of jazz.
I really enjoyed the music and had never listened (I'm ashamed to say) to a whole album of his.
Oh this is going to be fun. Ok, not my favorite. This is closer to what people who hate jazz, think jazz is. It’s still pretty great and unique.
Great album that I've never listened to before
I had "heard of" Thelonious Monk but had never "heard" him. This was a treat and I will likely purchase the album.
A wonderful jazz album from start to finish. Carries you along with it.
Not jazz fan, so it didn't sound immediately friendly to my ear. Enjoyed the solos, as well as the interplay of instruments. Would like to listen to it another time or two.
Solid Jazz.
One of the better jazz albums we have listened to on this journey. Would 100% return to more Monk. 3.5/5
EEN JAZZ ALBUM, thank god. Na al die rock hiervoor ben ik blij weer even iets anders te hebben. Het is een prachtig album, met daarin slechts 5 nummers, maar deze zijn allemaal lang en nemen je mee op reis. Vertellen een verhaal zeg maar. De piano is de grote ster, logisch met Thelonious Monk als hoofdartiest, en dat vind ik wel eens fijn na voornamelijk de saxofoon of trompet als ster te hebben gehad tot noch toe. Het is een fijn album, zeker niet op het level van Kind of Blue, maar dat is dan ook een uitzonderlijk album. Wel vind ik dit gewoon echt een heel erg goed album. Ik snap volledig dat dit onderdeel is van de lijst, geef me alsjeblieft meer Jazz. FAVO: Pannonica, I Surrender, Dear, Bemsha Swing
Not a jazz fan, but I enjoyed this album. Great technique on all the instruments, an enjoyable listen. Of the five tracks, I liked I Surrender, Dear, the most.
I might be a jazz guy?
This album was enjoyable as all hell. I love that it’s got such a back story of how complex these tracks were to play and the vision Monk had to push through the turmoil in order bring these tracks to life… now? Do I think you need to hear this album before you die? If you want to hear how Jazz became complex? How Jazz moved into the Miles, Coltrane technical era? Subsequently creating artists like Prince? Then I will suggest you listen. If none of that means anything to you? Then you have every reason to skip. But it is an enjoyable, albeit specific, listen that I’ll happily return to but I don’t know if others will
fun jazz stuff i like. 7.5/10
Very enjoyable listed. Chaotic at times but bursting with talent through and through
Cool stuff. Title track had to be spliced from takes cuz so complicated apparently the bass player resorted to miming his parts on one occasion
Also das ist eindeutig wieder Jazz!
This one had me in the first half. The piano wasn’t my speed, and it brought me down in the first half. The songs also just weren’t that interesting to me. But the second half was a major step up. The last two songs in particular were amazing. While half of it isn’t that good, it’s worth it to see the second half. Cool!
Nice Jazz, what more is there to say
This is exactly down the middle in what I expect from Jazz, it ticked all the boxes in a good way without ever really surprising me. It might be that this was the trailblazer that makes jazz sound like this, but I doubt it. Perfect background jazz when you don't want any curveballs but Im not bowled over by it. 3.5
good jay
Thelonious Monk is fantastic. This album feels so ahead of it's time for coming out in the 1950s. Love the sax work on it in particular.
Nice. MAI TREBUIE INCERCAT. Ca l am ascultat pe sarite
Would I listen to this album again? Not the entire album Were there any songs I skipped? No. Comments? Some great jazz! Favourite Songs? Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-lues-Are
Very enjoyable jazz. The kind that can be played in a bar, an elevator, a restaurant, at home, during work, at an after-work, etc. Many songs would be perfect for a Leonardo Di Caprio movie with him picturing some random rich guy in the gay twenties.
Jazzy and relaxed. Well made
what can i say, monk is the man. there's no one like him and there will never be. his playing is a style of its own, and maybe an acquired taste, but i love how off-kilter and nonsensical his solos can be. just really cool. and of course, he has a great band here as well. never listened to this one before and i'm not the world's biggest jazzhead out there, but i really enjoyed my time with this one!
Nice and lovely jazz record.
really enjoyed it, I know very little about jazz so have no useful insights.
I’m not normally a big fan of jazz. Which is odd because I live in New Orleans and spend a lot of my time (through work) in a Jazz Club. But this album wasn’t bad. Only 5 tracks, which could honestly have been one big track. Easy listening.
Being a sophisticate is the same thing as being a kid banging random notes. I definitely like that. Nothing to prove. “Cool” as “get real,” intellect disgusted with refinement. To me this is classic housework music. Getting your hands dirty, being messy, is part of showing off and feeling on top of things.
Lives up to the name for sure
11/06/23 2:45 S Tier————————— Bemsha Swing A Tier————————— I Surrender Dear Ba Lue Bolivar Pannonica B Tier————————— Brilliant Corners C Tier————————— D Tier—————————
bemshaaaaaa
Chill fri jazz
Sweet piano jazz album
first listen this is a bop (pun intended)
Just some very good background jazz. 4.5
Brilliant Corners opens with dissonant chords, seemingly welcoming the listener into the deep end of Monk's jazz bending mind. As the motif kicks in, organizing everyone into rhythm and key, the tempo quickly picks up and your swept away into a frenetic, powerful display of jazz throughout 5 track album.
most jazz sounds similar and is just background music for me, i can tell it’s great music i just wouldn’t be able to tell it’s them if i heard it
Excellent jazz
Enjoyed this! It was easy and pleasant listening and I found it easy to enjoy while working.
I really liked the jazz melodies and tunes. Very relaxing and pleasant to listen to.
Relaxing and energetic at the same time. I enjoyed it
Great jazz thelonious is the goat
Very accessible so far as jazz goes, really liked it
amazing jazz accomplishment — precise and polished
I feel like I'm too much of a jazz normie to understand why this is good, but I really like how it sounds. Bemsha Swing has a kinda of tiresome melody.
solid jazz album
Great smooth listen
"Brilliant Corners" is Thelonious Monk's magnum opus, showcasing his innovative genius in jazz. Each track demonstrates Monk's ability to push boundaries while respecting tradition. It solidifies his status as a trailblazer and remains a timeless inspiration for musicians. This album is a testament to Monk's enduring legacy in jazz.
Still trying to figure out Brilliant Corners.
This sure is a jazz album, and it sure is good too.
Funny how these more free kinds of Jazz help my mind to unwind and relax. I would‘ve expected the very opposite but the way the music is a complete mystery to me it‘s kinda easier to let it be and soak into one‘s troubled mind. 3.5
Pretty cool. First taste of Jazz and I dig it man.
I could listen to this every weekend morning with a cup of coffee. Or a smoky bar every weekend night. For jazz (my listening knowledge is pretty thin) this is smooth and really nice. Chaotic, as jazz can be, but the chaos is framed within the bass line, allowing each song to move along in a way that can enjoyed.
Great listen, and really a nice fall album. Just a nice cozy jazz album
The more I listen to jazz the more I realize I really enjoy jazz. The music feels so full and everybody is a master of their craft. Excellent album to have on while at work. Added to playlist: Brilliant Corners
Enjoyed it -- if I get nothing else out of this album project, I will finish knowing that I need to listen to more jazz
Overall excellent. I generally prefer jazz that gives me a bigger melodic anchor to grab hold of but that doesn’t mean I didn’t find this wonderful. I need to look this up but I have a feeling we’re hearing something much closer to true improvisation as opposed to solos that are riffs over a plotted roadmap. Bemsha Swing is a fuckin banger. 4.5/5 stars
Classic jazz. Thelonious Monk can get pretty off the map during his solos and it's cool to listen to but I think it can get a little too out there at times. I love the rhythmic variations in the title track though, it felt very locked in when it changed. Max Roach holding it down as always.
Awesome jazz album
Pleasant but I just don't dig jazz
Don't feel like I know enough jazz to have a proper opinion, but was great background music.
Classic soundtrack for staring at the world.
Very good interesting jazz that's great to read to but the kind of album I doubt I'll go to often when on shuffle but will be likely to listen to again when the mood hits me
Good stuff, men ikke det aller aller beste. Tror plata vil vokse på meg!
Oh look, another jazz album both my husband and I can agree on.
Man I like jazz.
One of those inevitable albums, when talking about the foundation of modern jazz. I don’t quite have the same relation to Monk as I do Davis, Brubeck, Coltrane etc. But Brilliant Corners is nevertheless a regular spin at home.
late night cocktail vibes…get wasted and pass out in central park. you spirit leaves your body and floats into an ethereal inaccessible to mortals.
The thing I love about jazz is that I don’t understand it at all. I enjoy listening to it, but don’t know why like I would with other genres. Thelonious Monk is one of my go to jazz musicians if I want to hear some good jazz. He’s very good at establishing his moods and obviously the instrumentation is impeccable. The second track droned a tad and I would have preferred he cut it back a little and perhaps made another, more interesting, piece. My only critique. 4/5
Such a relaxing album made by one of the all time greats. Wonderful listen. 8/10
Jazz!
Parts of this are a challenge for me, but in the “I think I need to hear that again” way, not that I didn’t like it. But much of this is just amazing.
Good stuff
second track is one of my favourite jazz tunes, slightly dragged down by the last half of the album but is still a great listen.
Lovely melodies, engaging instrumentation, compact songs
Prefer Sonny Rollins as a solo artist, but still good
The first track absolutely kicks arse. That sax is menacing. I wish everything else was like that. Most of the rest of the album though while very good, is a lot more gentle swing, dinner party style jazz. I can't see me listening to that again. Ironically the last track entitled Bemsha Swing is actually much more freeform, and definitely more my bag. An album full of track 1 and 5 please!
Pretty good
Cool
This album is a bop and goes hard, some might even call it a… Hard bop.
so good! An instant connection with this one. I had never heard of this Thelonius Monk album, though I’ve played out others. This one was just a great listen during my morning. 4/5
If you like jazz, you should check out this album. If you are like me and don't like jazz, you should skip this album.
I thought I would find this boring, but I was wrong. It is full of fun, catchy melodies and just sounds like the musicians were all having a blast making it.
Amazing Jazz pianist; in particular the opening track throws you into chaos and resolves to a reliable relief of assonance and consistent rhythm. But not all tracks astound so much as the title track. This album is also notably held back by the recording quality of the day-- its very fuzzy and in some songs you can hear musicians humming or keeping the beat. Keeping in mind the day and age this was released and the target it was released for this is near perfect. It might have difficulty holding up to modern production standards.
Lively, angular. Just real pretty stuff. Favorite tracks: "Brilliant Corners", "Bemsha Swing"
Very solid jazz album, but I liked the one from yesterday more.
Damn, that was smooth.
Love how the songs were played on this one. There is so much life induced into every note on here, something I wish I saw more in Jazz. A great record.
C’est du bon jazz ça
Great jazz album. Listened to the whole thing and was satisfied!
Hello, and welcome to Jazz Club. Next up, Thelononius Monk with Scuba-dooba-dooba-bal-ue-surrender-panna-cotta-sandwich, with Sonny Rollins, Ernie Henry and Clark Terry. Also featuring Off Kilter chords and Sax that gatecrashed from a whole other song. Listen out for the smoky bass 10 minutes into Bolivar and get ready for those textured drum beats. Sensational. Let's listen again. Nice👌🏻
Really swings!
I've heard a few jazz albums in the list by now. I still don't feel smart enough to critique this or even necessarily explain why I liked it, but like it I certainly did. This was a pleasant jazz record that was like a warming whisky in a dimly lit bar. A very nice accompaniment to my evening. Favourite: Pannonica
Probably the best jazz album on this list so far
Hvar hefur þú verið allt mitt líf, Thelonious? Æðislegt stöff!
Highlight: Pannonica
Nice. Rides the line between being weird and interesting without being too much hard work. Mellow but still challenging.
Again, reviewing jazz is like reading a book in a foreign language. It all seems nice but I don't really have a deeper understanding than that. The slow stuff is more exciting than the fast stuff. Clearly they're all incredible musicians.
Very good.
I love TM!
Great easy jazz album for non-jazz people to enjoy. Enjoyed the journey throughout each track
Hard bop. Es como jazz instrumental. Está bien para trabajar. Un 4.
I feel that this got better as it progressed, culminating in the lovely 'I Surrender, Dear', and the rollicking 'Bemsha Swing'. The drumming in the latter is, by bop standards, thunderous. Don't think that I'll ever tire of having Monk thrust in my direction.
This is the kind of background jazz I like. It's good enough to become foreground jazz if you want it to, not obnoxious enough to force that decision upon you. Solid through and through.
Great album. Thelonious has always been a little too chaotic for my taste, but it is hard to beat some good Jazz.
Good stuff. Solid 3.5
Brilliant band. Sounds still fresh.
I have a respect for jazz but wasn’t the vibe.
Solid Jazz.
The monk is the man! This was a beauty
Sonceramente no me sorprendio tanto, es bueno, lo que se espera de un grupo de renombre pero no mas que un 6 o 7/10 sinceramente. Hay buenaa armonias, es interesante, los piques dicen algo, se alternan en sonidos, tempo, escalas, pero es jazz groovy del bueno y lisgo, no hay mas profundizacion.
This is just what I needed for my early morning work. Not too demanding, but a burst of energy to get my fingers tap, tap, tapping on the keyboard. I could have been a jazz musician, y'know. Well, a two chord bass player. I lost it a little in trying to match the rhythm with my keyboard, But that's jazz, YEAH? I never know where to start with the jazz classics. Sometimes just diving in does the job. Nice, etc.
GOOD NICE
Good chilled jazz album.
Smooth jazz. Good background music, felt like I was in a lift for a very long time.
Really enjoyed that, having listened to some of his contemporaries but never Monk himself. Great background working music in my book as well.
Listened to it twice without realising. I didnt think I would enjoy it as background music as much as I did. 4/5
I have complained about lots of other albums without vocals not holding my attention but this one is a total exception. Really enjoyed this, I am a fan of jazz usually though. the saxophones and trumpets were gorgeous and I loved the double bass and wire brush drumming. I also really liked the piano track "I Surrender, Dear"
Monk the 🐐. More jazz please, Rob
Bhill
Great finding outside my confort zone
JAZZ. Beautiful things happen when legends team up. Favorite track: Bemsha Swing
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Pannonica, I surrender dear
Comfy jazz, felt like I should be sitting in smoky lounge with a cocktail
Really good hard bop. The playing is exciting, but the hero here is the composition. Monk writes a set of inventive, out-of-the-box tunes that are a blast to spend time with. I prefer my jazz a little more out there or a little groovier, but this was almost as good as some of my favorites.
Every song tells a story. Fuckin' loved it.
I wanted to like this more than I actually did. Thelonious Monk is half a tick too sophisticated for my ears. There's some brilliant passages that took me away. The opening of Bemsha Swing, for example, evokes a fun swishy dance party in some island paradise. Sonny Rollins comes in and it's great, and I'm groovin', and then at some point I lose the thread. If I was better at listening 5 stars, but sadly I'm not.
I'm not a jazz guy at all but this was an enjoyable listen
I am not a big jazz connoisseur. I like to be guided by others who occasionally pass me an album. And now 1001 Albums brought me this one from Thelonious Monk. And I am very happy with this recommendation. To me this sounds like technically challenging jazz with very interesting rhythms, but played so languidly that it seems to come close to a kind of smooth jazz at times, despite the fact that the dissonant tones of the piano always keep you on your toes and make you listen a bit more intensely. Accessible jazz, which reveals more and more the more you listen to it.
4 stars
Fantastic! monk is amazing as always and it’s fascinating to hear sonny Rollins breakout with him. best tracks: brilliant corners, bemsha swing, ba-lue bolivar ba-lues-are
Delightful jazz album. The name is apt - Brilliant as in distinct and - Corners as in sharply turning (I am reading too much into this idk). The music is lively and surprising in its metric in key moments, wonderful for an active listening session. Maybe not ideal on commute or other tasks - should be enjoyed will full attention 3.5/5
I know the band but I have to say I didn't reallt have the patience for the album today, but is quality nonetheless
Solid tasteful album. Monk is a king among kings, and Sonny Rollins is a king among kings. This album is really great and I can't stop saying "tasteful". They use plenty of dissonances but only when needed. They confidently move between modern jazz and classic jazz, with an approach that to me feels like classic structures with modern ideas. I love the vibraphone / idiophone instrument throughout the album, and everything is really stellar.
Loved it
Some enjoyable piano led jazz.
SLAPSSSS holy shit
Monk on vahva! Tämä on eittämättä klassikko se sanottakoon. Hyllystä löytyy ja diggailen kovasti vaikka jazzin suhteen tykkään usein hieman enemmän cool-soundista. Hieno kokonaisuus joka saa minkä tahansa punkun maistumaan. 4/5
absolutely brilliant if you're looking to expand your music taste
Nice jazz album
Very good and relaxing
Fun though too cryptic for me sometimes. And some saxoPHONEYness
loved this!
Good one
Bright and exactly the right way to start off the week.
Brilliant indeed, also challenging and cerebral. Monk's playing is sublime, and the contributions by the rest of the musicians are solid too. Pannonica and I Surrender, Dear are personal favs. I award this four mirrors, to help reflect Monk's radiant smile to the four corners of the world. 🪞🪞🪞🪞
You can really hear Thelonious’s deep understanding of the rules of jazz and the blues in his playing. He bends the rules in all the right places making for a wonderful bit of piano playing. Sonny Rollins kills on sax. The mix on the bass is a little low, but the bass player still holds it down. The drum tone is great, so classic and restrained. It’s amazing how just a title and Monk’s playing unlocks a rich lyricism in “I Surrender, Dear”. That slow swung section is amazing. But I just didn’t connect with this album as much as I have other 5s, so it has to be a 4
8/10
Solid jazz. 8/10
Lovely jazz
Pretty great jazz stuff. 4/5
Ya like jazz?
Another pretty generic jazz album
Breath of fresh air after some of the others from the list.
Truly one of a kind, Monk's compositions are both off-kilter and highly enjoyable. The top-notch players around him make this record, which is only one of several of his that could/should have been included.
I have quite a history with Thelonious Monk. Tickle them ivories and ebonies. 😁
It's jazz
jazz
Jazz always gets 4 stars
Wunderbar
My first time listening to Monk. This is a great jazz album really enjoyed it.
Brilliant like the title says
Good jazz
Great jazz album
What a powerhouse band. Listening to Sonny Rollins and Clark Terry work with Monk and his intricate syncopations is a joy.
Good jazz music. Sorry you’re putting me on the spot I before I had a chance to actually listen to it.
4.75
The smell of sweat and whiskey interweaves with the tobacco smoke hanging thick from the low ceiling of the basement club. The society princess has escaped her ivory tower for the evening. A cigarette dangles from her refined fingers as she holds court with the proletariat at her table. Their whispered tones speak of freedom and rebellion and a world different from their parents'. The beat poets are here tonight. They're here every night now. They fill the breaks in the music with the syncopated rhythms of their words. And the people snap their fingers in mute acknowledgement of the poets wisdom. But it's the music they all come for. The music is where the energy and inspiration comes from. The music is what unlocks their doors, takes down their walls, and creates the avenues for their creative thought. Tomorrow, they will all be back in their little boxes, defined by others or external circumstances. But tonight?Tonight, they fly free on the wings of the music.
Fun rambling trumpet, pretty good jazz album
Instrumental Jazz
Heel vrolijke jazz. Leuk plaatje
Jaaaazz. Nice!
Mmmmmmm nice
monk digs into his hard hitting style with sax to match, although not as innovation and melodic as some of his others
Great music.
Thelonius Monk has the oddest sense of melody and timing. So mysteriously compelling. A sweet spot for progressive jazz.
Definitely interesting and has some interesting syncopation/melodies going on. Nothing jumps out to me as a standalone track, but it was all very nice.
Lovely album and good fun
Funcionou muito bem para criar um clima com o jazz clássico instrumental.
Nice and jazzy
I’m a total jazz n00b. I have no clue how to evaluate this album, other than to say it was pleasant to listen to during my Sunday brunch. That seems to equate to a 4 star rating.
Cool stuff.
Very cool. Surprised me
Good stuff
this being monk's first album of his own arrangements is incredible. the record companies should have been letting him do that from the start! this album is a wonderful piece of art! monk clearly had a gift with jazz and the piano. the composition of each piece really boggles my mind. an impressive, enjoyable album. should be a good one to listen to while working.
Top jazz pianist, goede chaos
i love jazz, i always enjoy it. this album was one of the best jazz records i've listened to. if you didn't like it then i think you just don't understand jazz very much.
Strong, solid jazz album like most of them are from this era. It’s ambitious and incredibly played, but the deliberate dissonance may be off-putting for some. Personally though, I dug it.
veisla
Didn’t mind the jazzy sensation
A bit haunting
Already had this one to rate - I think it was my second album. Third duplicate now since I joined a group, does that mean I have to listen to 1004 albums before I die? Previous review: Great Monk album. Not totally sure I love Monk. Ended up reading more about Pannonica than much else. I need to run through the lead sheet on Brilliant Corners because I don't understand it as a composition.
Monk qui pousse les limites, tous des players de fous et ils ont dû faire du montage pour la pièce titre. On les sens un peut pas safe dans leurs solos mais ça les force à rester proche du thème et de la structure atypique de la composition, ce qui ressemble aux solos de Monk en général. Un de mes Monk préféré, surtout pour l'innovation de Brilliant Corners qui était assez avant-gardiste pour l'époque et pour le celesta dans Panonica que je trouve magique😇 Ça change de Norah Jones😅
C’est pas un bon album pour initier les gens au jazz. Je dirais plutôt que s’en est un pour les habitués qui cherche autre chose dans un contexte pré-modal. J’aime beaucoup Monk comme compositeur et comme explorateur. Je l’aime moins comme pianiste. Je le trouve un peu rustre. J’aime bien comment il accompagne les soliste par contre. C’est très inventif et peu conventionnel. Mention spéciale au son du bass drum qui est monstrueux sur plusieurs pièces. À réécouter certainnement.
I normally like Jazz but this one was a little slow for my taste.
Bebop is pretty polarizing, so expecting this to be divisive. Really digging the title track. As with all jazz, a little too easy to lose track for a bit, especially during the longer tracks, but this is the kind of jazz I like best, for the most part, so I think I'm pretty happy with this. Track two is pretty good, lots of cool twists and turns despite being on the long side. Yeah, I enjoyed this, on the whole.
That was some smooth jazz.
Makes me want to sit in a corner booth at a bar in Chicago and drink brandy cocktails. Some of this is over my head but it’s almost like looking at a start at night where you can see it a little better if you don’t look right at it. I can jive with Thelonious Monk better if I’m not too focused on it.
4/5. Definitely one of my favorite Jazz albums.
Mournful at times. Elegiac.
Might be some of my favorite Thelonious Monk works I’ve heard. Strong mix of emotions and styles in a tight album. Features other musicians and stays true to the man at the center of the album.
Sounds completely modern despite coming out in the 50s
Puro jazz.
hat mir richtig gut gefallen... leider habe ich auch nicht bemerkt, dass das album wieder von vorne anging... man merkt auf jeden fall die virtuosität der einzelnen musiker. glaube ihnen gingen gegen ende die ideen aus...
Listened at the gym this morning. Pretty new to Jazz but I like Miles Davis and John Coltrane a lot. This was also very good.
- Capa bonita - É... gostei de ouvir jazz - Pretendo ouvir mais vezes
It's great to hear more jazz. I like it.
I’ve never had much exposure to jazz, but it’s something I have long been thinking I need more familiarity with. Reading a little about this album it seems like an excellent place to start. When I listen to this it definitely seems like what I would expect in a jazz record. I put this on and found it very cool and classy, relaxing even. It was nice to sit back and chill out to the smooth music. I’m still a complete novice here, but am happy to hear this album.
Brilliant Corners is the tour de force of jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. The compositions are complex, but still sound accessible. Sonny Rollins on saxophone makes this album a true hard bop classic.
Great jazz that goes to places that makes you pay attention.
Cool jazz!
hope it'll be a good listen, was good but not a 5 thats owing to his sucessors
A set of complex pieces for tenor saxophone, notably Brilliant Corners and Pannonica, in which Monk played both piano and celeste. This was to remain his masterpiece. (8/10) FT: Brilliant Corners
Good Jazz. Would recommend. Favorites: Brilliant Corners, Pannonica, I Surrender, Dear
Pannonica was a standout track. The whole album was super enjoyable to listen to. I'm glad that this finally gave me an excuse to sit down and listen to a Thelonious Monk album
Better than what I had heard from him.
Great album. Will need multiple listens to understand more of the movements and changes.
Some good jazz music
Nice background, need lyrics tho
It's a good sign when you can loop the album and you don't realize that you're listening to a song for a third time.
Jazz progression, the abstract of sound is bold, emotional, and thought inspiring. It’s a born talent, a gift. The album was great!,,
Good old fashioned jazz. For some reason I've always thought Thelonious Monk was a soul/jazz fusion guy from the '90s, but he actually died in the '80s. Anyway, this is great. Love the piano emphasis, as I believe that's Monk's specialty. Good range of emotional soundscapes here, not as stressful to me as the recent Coltrane album somehow. I loved a lot of the tracks here and would gladly return. Favorite tracks: Brilliant Corners (think like a brilliant), I Surrender Dear, Ba-Lue Bolivar, Pannonica. Album art: The five Monks of legend. He seems like a happy guy. I like this, it's much more creative than the typical jazz portrait cover. 4.5/5
Great album, one of my favorite jazz albums. Great tones from all musicians. Interesting Monk melodies. No weak links anywhere.
Very good and rather challenging.
A real discovery!
I like this a lot. Definitely getting more into the Jazz vibe as I get older..
Great Monk album. Not totally sure I love Monk. Ended up reading more about Pannonica than much else. I need to run through the lead sheet on Brilliant Corners because I don't understand it as a composition.
Legendary
bussin
Jazz zu bewerten fällt mir schwer. Aber das habe ich sehr gut hören können!
Erkennbar gut aber nicht leicht nachzuvollziehen. War aber auch nicht die Absicht vermute ich
Very much enjoyed 3.5/3.7?
Ya like jazz?
Really chill vibes
It is not Kind of Blue…but It is essential to jazz.
Good start here. Reminded me a little bit of Miles Davis; had never heard of the album or artist before listening. Enjoyed this immensely.
Easy 4/5
Done.
Nice clarinet work by theo
I listened to this album twice on my walks around the block with my infant, it was a delightful way to enjoy the outside breeze and sunshine. Fave Trax: Bemsha Swing, I Surrender, Dear
Sick
Ya like Jazz?
Brilliant bit of jazz
Brilliant Corners
Driving me crazy trying to figure out how/where I know this title track from. I'm a very passive jazz listener - while it's not my favourite music I still do especially enjoy this particular brand/style (instrumental, jazz-trio type). After two full run-throughs I can see why this is on a top list both because it's eminently listenable, interesting, and I've absolutely heard no less than three of these tracks before. Since I'm basic :P if you like Miles Davis Kind of Blue (nearly everyone has heard at least bits of that) you'll probably like this, although it seems a little more bebop/uptempo. It's quite good, I had this as a solid 3 but I think I'd put this as a 4 as I'll keep this one as something to come back to.
4/5 -> Melhores: "I Surrender, Dear" e "Bemsha Swing", mas o álbum todo é muito bom
I'm not normally one for jazz in general, but I really loved the atmosphere of this album. Perhaps because if the summer weather and it was the perfect soundtrack.
Rett og slett god jazz. mye artig påfunn.
Really enjoyed this - groovy melodies with pleasant sounding solos. Not too difficult, something I will listen to again.
Good free-form jazz, not a super easy listen but plenty in there
duplicate
funky jazz. i like. didn't finish whole album
esta chilleable, digerible, casi perfecto...thelonious monk una verga
Clean jazz is always appreciated
It's really tough to pick a favorite song with instrumental jazz... The 5 songs on here just kind of blend together into one 42 minute song. I'm not saying it's bad... but just tough to find one that stands out. All in all, I liked it.
Started listening - very jazzy. Did not finish.
Nice to wok by
Any time I focus in there is interesting stuff happening
Pretty class. Dos Monos sample the first track on this album, which was pretty unexpected.
good
Pretty mid low 3
decent
3/5 need to listen more
1001 Albums Generator 358 (9/27/2026) Really nice cool jazz. Thelonious Monk is one of the best piano players in all jazz history, and this album is great to have on in the background, but nothing about it really grabs me. Perfectly pleasant. 3.5/5, rounded down to 3/5. Favs: Brilliant Corners Pannonica Bemsha Swing Least Fav: I Surrender, Dear
I do enjoy jazz, but for whatever reason this album just never got going enough for me to really love it. Perhaps repeated listens are needed, but for now it's a decent yet unremarkable piece of jazz for me.
А даже не плохо, но не мое 3.5/5
Jazz. And I'm not really good at telling one jazz apart from another. Seemed alright
This album is good but has everything I dislike about jazz. Extremely repetitive and sometimes the jams lose me and are uninteresting, but the core of these songs are good. Actual Rating...2.5 Liked Songs: "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are" and "Pannonica"
It's like a bunch of wanky guitar solos but it's wanky sax solos, wanky piano solos, wanky drum solos and wanky bass solo. The parts where they actually manage to put aside their differences and have a group wank are actually quite good. The piano sections are just boring. idk how to rate this it's a combination of a 4 and a 1
Really really great. I did at times feel that a hooky motif was missing from some of the longer tracks, as many of the jazz standards I’ve come to love tend to have a melodic line that repeats to ground you in and around the soloing. This one meandered a tad, but I’m still learning about jazz so maybe there’s a technical reason for this. Still incredible solos / musicianship, I particularly loved the drumming! Pannonica was really beautiful melodically too, as was I Surrender, Dear.
Standouts Bemsha Swing
It was alright
It started off and I thought I was being subjected to yet another haphazard jazz monstrosity. Surprised me.
It was ok
Going way back to 1957 for this album. Basically it’s a jazz combo with piano, sax, bass, and drums. The music is standard jazz, pleasant enough for three stars.
Genre: Hard bop. You have my attention! Shocking news: this is neither hard nor bop. It's jazz. Easy jazz. It's fine. Among the upper tier of its genre, probably, but I don't think there's any jazz I LIKE like. Track ranking: 3 > 2 > 5 > 1 > 4.
É uma delícia escuta-lo, enquanto se cozinha em um dia de folga e tenta conciliar um arroz integral (como sempre difícil de encontrar o ponto de certo de cozimento), o frango assando no forno, a abóbora pipocando em fervulha e a louça caótica como o metrô em horário de pico.
jazzy
Jazz for me is largely the quality of the leader and the sidemen. This was perfectly fine, but given the players I was hoping for more.
Not a big fan of jazz, it all sounds the same to me. But it was a nice and enjoyable album. (2.7/5)
I'm not into jazz a lot so I cannot comment
I listened to this non-stop while grinding work until 8 on Friday... to be honest I didn't retain much of it at all, but listening to it again over the weekend I started enjoying it a lot more. There's a lot to pull apart in these songs; the saxophone is the main melody across a lot but the other instruments have a lot going for them as well. Monk has a pretty dissonant style which maybe he pioneered? This would be one of those albums to have on vinyl.
Review - I've never been able to get into this album and it makes me feel stupid. It's not bad, but Monk's music never grabs me the way Miles Davis, John Coltrane, or even Bill Evans albums do, and I can't put my finger on why that is. I enjoyed this album, but I had moments of much less active listening. I couldn't tell you if certain 5 minutes stretches of the album are interesting or not. I have to temper the score based on this. Score - 5.5/10 Need to listen? YES
Good jizz, not great jizz though
im working to like jazz more and I did like this !
Bell'album poi mi ha fatto venire voglia di ascoltare anche altre canzoni di Monk
Good stuff, it’s the vibe.,worth another listen.
Not my jam...I like words. But it was lovely. 2.5 or 3
5.0/10 I recognize he's a genius and his playing is technically amazing.. but not digging some of these tunes
There is a time and a place for this, a 90s wedding, obviously the 50s in general, a slightly dated cocktail bar that mixes everything with full fat milk.. but the time nor the place is when I'm already feeling pissed off working from home at my desk. It just doesn't hit there, I found myself feeling wound up by it. That's a me problem, but it's MY review not yours.
I'm not hugely into jazz stuff like this but it was nice enough to soundtrack a walk through central London, kinda just background music to me really
Good background album, wouldn’t put it on in any music forward situation
Very broad range of emotions from song to song, but the first few lose that emotion as they move along. HIghlight: "I Surrender, Dear"
Average straightaways.