Reviews (page 8 of 12)
it's jazz
The Good: Brilliant corners are better than sharp corners! The Bad: If corners are too brilliant… The Ugly: Realizing that cutting corners would’ve been better… We’ve got Thelonious Monk, one of the larger names in the Jazz game… if you are into jazz. If you are just into listening to music, then you probably would not have listened to this, as it takes a compass and several maps, and one of those army knives, in order for you to be prepared for the unknown. This album was not my thing, as it is the kind of Jazz that I am not such a big fan off… Give me swing, give me easy… just don’t give me this. However, glad I did get to listen to it, and will dish out a lovely 3*
Джаз это классно, но на постоянной основе бы не слушала.
Listened twice although not super closely either time. I'd go back to Kind Of Blue before this.
Yeah... I'm not a fan of these old experimental jazz albums, it was just kind of boring to me, it's okay, it's clearly well made & competent, just not for me, I can see why it's so highly regarded though, still, I thought it was boring.
It’s jazz. Interesting but still jazz
Not bad
good stuff, but not for me
I need to be further educated on jazz at some point. Of course I know of the greats like Mingus, Davies, Coltrane and Sanders, but I've never really dove into their discographies, having only heard single records from them. Thelonious Monk is one of these great Jazz men I've completely ignored, sticking to my safe and accessible fusion records instead. And while that's all and good, it turns out that when you're reviewing a jazz record it's pretty handy to know a thing or two about the thing you're reviewing. With the disclaimer that I'm completely uneducated when it comes to the genre I'm still hoping to provide something of value with my first time reaction to this. Going into this with no expectations what so ever, and hoping it provides me with some memorable moments that make me want to explore this genre further. Brilliant Corners It sounds complicated as all hell. The bass and piano feel very in line with each other, while the sax is almost standing in opposition to them. The piano feels very deliberate and melodic. I enjoyed that, sounds spacey. The composition respects each individual musician giving them plenty of spotlight both solo and as a unit. Good. 4/5 Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are I can see why people say the "Cruella de Vil" song is similar to this. The opening melody bears a lot of resemblance to it. Has a sophisticated aura about it, I think it has a lot to do with how the piano notes are parsed out throughout the sax part. Love how the opening motif subtly comes through occasionally with the piano part. Feels like I'd have a better time with this if I understood the technical and theoretical aspects of this better. I can tell a lot is going on that I'm not equipped to understand. The bass solo is pretty cool. Difficult to comment on, on one hand I really liked the main motif, and I found the sections where the musicians worked in unison to be pretty entertaining. On the other hand the solos were a big question mark for me, because I don't understand the intricasies of what was going on I sadly ended up being pretty bored by them. It is in no means actually boring I'm sure, I simply don't get it. Fine. 3/5 Pannonica Sounds like a messed up music box to start. Sleepy tempo. Love the little musical "cuts" for a lack of better term. Love how cute and pleasant the celesta sounds. TIL that is an instrument that exists. That felt pretty accesible and sweet. I really like the main tenor sax melody here, feels really classic. Decent. 3.5/5 I Surrender Dear Has a sadness to it, feels moody and deep. Really enjoy the sparseness of the track. Feels quite dense, despite only featuring Monk and his piano. Decent. 3.5/5 Bemsha Swing I like the shift in tempo and energy from the previous two tracks. The percussion here is really fun. Kinda melds into the background after a bit. I fail to find anything to notable about it. Fine. 3/5 A worthwile listen for sure, but I don't feel like I got as much out of it as I hoped I would. In all fairness I think the musicianship on this thing is absolutely stellar, even an untrained ear can hear the complexity of the compositions and the insane technicality of the performances. However I know next to nothing about jazz, so while I can appreciate the talent I have no idea what is going on. While the stereotype says you must "feel the jazz" that only works on a surface level. A singular groove or a motif might stay in your head for a while, the intricacies however can easily be lost. Sadly I felt lost a lot, and when I'm lost the music sort of melds into the background, becoming mere noise. I'm however extremely happy this was the album I rolled to day, as it's challenging nature made me feel stimulated trying to pierce it together. I'd love to revisit this someday with more educated ears to see wether my tastes have changed. Based completely on a surface level first reaction I'm giving this 3.5 stars out of 5, though for the site's limited rating system's sake it's closer to a 3 than it is to a 4. Fave track. Brilliant Corners
Good jazz, I liked the sax. But a bit too sleepy for my state of mind
I like how you can mentally fall in and out of this kind of jazz. I don’t know if it’s me or what the artist intended, but I partially engage with it until a chord or melody draws me back in. It’s a more rhythmic way to listen to music than how I frequently do.
As far as Jazz goes, it goes without saying that unless it is along the lines of "In A Sentimental Mood" or "Blue In Green" then it will likely not be my preferred style of music. There was definitely a sense of direction to the chaos which lacked on Coltrane's album and thus made this slightly more palletable and thus earning a hard 3.
Good improv on the album. Solid overall, a lot of Thelonious Monk music is more original and intricate/complex. The album felt fine but I didn't fall in love with it and wouldn't have it on repeat if I was in the mood to listen to a jazz playlist.
Feels like I need a PhD in Musicology to appreciate this. I enjoyed it but wouldn't seek it out again. 3/5.
At times it swings too far into a few unsatisfying and unorthodox places but overall I enjoyed the quirkiness. It’s easier to get into the swing of things when you listen to it as purely a performance rather than looking for a traditional song format or structure. It’s play.
Classic jazz album. Didn't really listen listen to it, but it was aight.
Good background music for a rainy Saturday night.
Pretty nice Jazz - could do with a bit more groove for my tastes but perfectly listenable.
Pretty good, not a Jazz enthusiast, but I can appreciate how much effort went into this album and the songs have their own themes and composition.
Reminds me of the talented Carl Fletcher!
Good, not ground breaking. Enjoyed it enough to not turn it off.
It was great at one time. Sounds dated.
Helt ok jazz, men inget som fångade mig
Couldn’t quite get there, but the melody that reprises is interesting. Feels winsome and then just a bit off with the final harmony so close. There’s a cinematic/storytelling shorthand that uses jazz or the jazz fan identity to signal that the (usually white, male) character is serious, consumed by dark thoughts, has seen the truth of the world and is shaken by it, usually cursed to have an occupation fighting for justice. Their solace is in vinyl, their intelligence demonstrated by knowing which sideman filled in for the session that one day, their taste by preferring that unknown and forgotten player to the bigger name. Meanwhile, like most, Monk was grinding away at making difficult (to play) music, but not for sombre audiences to stare into their drinks while their forgetting to ash a cigarette.
I took a jazz history class in college and remember how much the music benefited from having someone versed in the genre explain to you what was going where and why. That was a great class, it made me feel really smart. But I don't think I'm smart really, because basically my taste in and opinions on jazz range from "my type" to "not my type." This is sort of my type, but I found it kind of washed over me? I listened 6 times and kept waiting for something about it to hold my attention. There are jazz records that can, but this one just didn't. Kind of a pleasant wallpaper? I don't know. I liked I Surrender Dear best, maybe because it had the easiest melody and was less fussy than the rest, since it's just Monk and not all the other players. I don't know. I should go back to college.
This is, without question, a masterpiece. But for me? I feel like Emperor Joseph II watching Mozart in the 1984 classic, Amadeus: "Too many notes!" I respect it, I do—it’s genius at work. But I’m over here clapping on the wrong beat, nodding like I get it, and secretly wondering if Monk’s piano is mad at me.
I'm sure this is top notch to all enthusiasts
His third album..A jazz jam session of sorts. Five tracks for 43mins. If jazz is your thing this is a seminal album. It's still a good listen anyway. Great musicianship. Enjoyable.
I Surrender, Dear. This album and its Brilliant Corners have me in awe.
This would probably be cool at a nighttime jazz club or bar. I probably shouldn’t have listened at 1am when I was half asleep. Edit nearly a year later: Can confirm, shouldn't have listened while half asleep. Bumping up to a 3
Terrific album cover. Favorite track: Pannonica 3.5/5
3- Stars (7/15)
Nice to hear some jazz. I enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away, not the biggest fan of thelonius, a little too much dissonance sometimes
Stars to recognise the quality of his musicianship but this style of music doesn't do it for me.
Too-too-tooo-tooom / 10
I don't have the right knowledge to appreciate this kind of music. It sounds like music to me. It's fine.
Really bored mostly goes on too long and doesn’t change much, it’s really cool from a technical standpoint but not something I’d ever want to like “listen” to. It would be really good background music but for actually listening I found it very boring. I did somewhat enjoy “Pannonica” and “I Surrender, Dear” so it wasn’t a total wash but definitely not something I will probably ever return to. Unless at some point in the future I get into jazz which at this moment I find unlikely.
brilliant corners of olimpico fame?? das isch HARD BOP??? mega fun ja also ich han wenig dezue z sege. finds bis jz sehrsehr schöni musig und ich meine es 68 jahr alt, das isch schono crazy ehmm jaa smooth und schön aber halt für mich nüt uuunglaublichs. drei
Smoove
Hard to rate jazz albums, always good but don’t know enough to really differentiate them. Good listen though.
I have heard of Thelonious Monk before, but I could not have told you who or what that was before. Good to know now. It is average (to my ears) jazz music, OK for my morning commute to work.
Vibey
It was an easy listen, I was vibing throughout
It's jazz.
So I don't really "get" jazz, in the sense that I find it harder to connect to than say rock or pop music. I guess that makes me unsophisticated, which I'm at peace with. Having said that, this was quite nice to have on in the background while working. It was different enough from what I would usually listen to to be interesting, but not so much that it was cacophonous or jarring. Some bits were foot-tap inducing, which is always a good thing in my opinion. I feel like extended drum solos are pretty cool and should catch on more outside jazz Final thought: This guy's actual birth name is Thelonius Sphere Monk? Come on! How cool is that. Destined for greatness
Definitely a cool jazz record but Theolonious has not hit me the same as his other contemporaries of equal legend/myth. One day one of his songs/records will get me and I'll feel the vibe and understand the brilliance (no pun) but otherwise it's definitely just a nice jazz record.
It's standard jazz. Good background music.
Not a jazz guy but I didn’t mind this. Not something I’d listen to all the time but might be good for background music.
i enjoy jazz music :)
musically interesting, at least it has an amount of complexity but ultimately fails to appeal in any other way then remaining novel.
Jazz! Not much for me to add here Best Song: Brilliant Corners Rating: 6/10 Adequate Stars: 3/10
High quality noodling
I can’t say I can distinguish great jazz from ok jazz, but I do feel classy listening to it.
Getting hit with some jazz records early in this challenge. Enjoyable background music, but I struggle to stay focused on record, and feels more like the type of thing that would be so much more powerful and engaging live. This is just me, struggling to connect with jazz as a genre. Great name though!
It’s undeniably good. But you need to be in the mood.
Thelonious Monk is held in such high regard amongst jazz players, that its feels wrong to say anything less than praising him for his contributions. Sadly, I just wasn't impressed. Not that I disliked it, but there's nothing about it that truly stands out.
Cool but the songs are kind of long
Super smooth jazzy grooves.
Nice jazzy record
It was nice, for jazz
Enjoyable hard bop record for sure, but I can't say it's a standout of the genre to me. It sounds like a bridge between easy listening jazz and more hard hitting stuff.
Good background music
Pleasant
Get jazz album. Listen to it multiple times
I'm glad this list is introducing me to more jazz. This was a fun listen. It reminded me of Herbie Hancock.
always love some jazz. wasn't quite as interested in this one with mostly piano, but still solid
Great album to listen to while doing things. Couldn’t just sit and listen though.
3.5
This is my second jazz album so far (out of three total), and I actually like jazz. It seems that you can hyper focus on the music's intricacies, or just put it on in the background. Enjoyable musical experience, but as an album I would consider it 3.5/5 stars
Enjoyed. the album, even though it was a bit too modern for my tastes. May listen again, if I’m stuck in a room with a Apple Music subscription and nothing else
The Monk, één van m'n - of misschien wel dé - favoriete jazz-muzikanten over de jaren. En alhoewel ik meer van zijn 60s solo pianowerk ben, is deze meer 'Big Band' structuur ook alleraardigst. Je merkt al wel aan de melodieën van zijn composities dat hij in de hierop volgende jaren zou uitgroeien tot de pianist met misschien wel de meest eigenzinnige en iconische stijl. Bij één vinger op het ivoor van z'n piano weet je al dat het Thelonious is. Maar het houdt nog wel erg vast aan de hard bop traditie van de 70s. 'Pannonica' is eigenlijk de enige markante song, die blijft hangen zoals een Monk track dat zo vaak doet. De rest zijn jazz staples geworden, en uiteraard van hoge kwaliteit. Toch zou ik ''Brilliant Corners'' niet perse benoemen bij zijn beste werk, maar wellicht wel zijn beste groeps-effort. Sonny Rollins en Max Roach leveren altijd. Vooral de drums stelen de show op deze plaat. Maarja, nu doe ik net alsof ik echt iets van jazz afweet. 7/10 Highlights: Brilliant Corners Pannonica
Movie-jazz. Bestaat dat genre? Dat vind ik deze plaat. Het brengt je in een andere wereld en is heel toegankelijk. Perfect dus onder film-scenes. Ik vind dit een fijne jazzplaat. Doordat het met een band is gemaakt en lekker afwisselt. Niet het eindeloze improviseren of soleren wat sommige jazz albums wel hebben. Het bouwt op en af maar escaleert niet en is fijn melodieus. Maar ja. Nu doe ik net alsof ik iets van Jazz weet. 7/10 Highlights Pannonica
I’m fairly positive about this. I think it was better than my expectation.
I'm just not sure how to rate this. I'm sure it's excellent but jazz just is not for me.
Enjoyed this a lot
Yet again I realize jazz really just isn't my thing. I appreciate the ability and the intelligence. I just don't really LOVE it.
Not bad but far from the most impressive thing Monk has done.
Норм. Лучшая песня - Bemsha Swing.
2.5/5
Definitivamente tengo que mejorar mi sensibilidad jazzística, si es que esa palabra existe. Como en casi cada álbum de jazz que el generador me sugiere, aprecio su tecnicalidad, pero me acabo cansando de él. De todas formas, me ha gustado mucho su innovación rítmica, tiene algo muy especial. Excelente álbum, solo necesito un poco más de cultura musical para apreciarlo completamente.
Le he dado dos escuchas y me ha gustado, jazz chulo. Tampoco le saco nada más pero ha sido entretenido. Canción destacada: Bemsha Swing
I remember this had fairly heavy rotation when my 2 year old pals were over to play trucks and Legos… I tend to prefer Monk’s solo piano work, but this is still pretty good.
chill as fuck until they swap time signature every 10 seconds
Not optimistic. Next time somebody says “Oh I listen to everything.” I’ll ask them if they enjoy Thelonious Monk. I just don’t get Jazz and that’s probably saved me a lot of money. This is pleasant to listen to and inoffensive.
Guter Jazz aber hat mich nich mega krass gecatcht irgendwie, weiß auch nich warum
A bit more jazz than I maybe like my jazz
Nice background music, still can't fully pay attention to jazz
Best Song: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are. I lack the vocabulary to describe why I found this nice. Worst Song: I Surrender, Dear. The piano alone make this track feel too empty relative to the rest of the album. Overall: Pleasant, unassuming jazz for the background. Not particularly exciting, bordering on too sleepy. Fine music for reading.
pleasant but i was sliiiightly bored.
I think I'd rather listen to Coltrane or Davis. I'm not sure why, I didn't really dislike it, I just didn't groove with it.
Sure is jazz!
I like jazz with vocals more
At first I was like... Oh hell no... Then as it kept playing... I felt so fancy! Like I was at a cocktail party with Homer Simpson. Or trapped in a loft with Mr Big. Less fancy. Songs very long. I did get a little sick of it...
Not my favorite style, but a seriously talented musician
Typical Monk, not quite my taste.
As far as improv-style jazz goes, this would be my favorite of the ones I’ve heard so far on this list
good
I don’t hate jazz. I don’t love jazz. Wonderful for a long elevator ride.
Didn’t hit the spot I wanted it to honestly. Yes it was good, but it wasn’t what I wanted I guess. Not as memorable as I would’ve wanted.
Fun little Jazz album. Enjoyable and quick.
Jazz. Reminds me of whiplash
Good album!
I don’t have a ton to say about the details of this album, as it’s so far out of my depth. But I really enjoyed it and wish we had more unique instrumental genres to listen to. What I do know is that there seems to be some artistic liberty in the solos of different instruments peppered throughout this record (it’s jazz, so duh I shouldn’t be surprised by that. By 1957, was this a radical composition and performance? Surely to jazz heads at least, it must’ve been. My highlight here is probably the most notable mood switch on the album, Pannonica. Alternative name for this group: THEL and the MONKey homosapiens
There's some jazz I like, though I don't know why, so having a worthwhile opinion before "me likey" is a little rough here. I liked this enough to listen to it three times.
I don't know enough about jazz to evaluate this record. Not for me, though probably a great record.
I feel this album is more important than it is timeless. Definitely a good album and a milestone of the hard bop era but...just a good jazz album in 2025. Might have meant a lot more back then.
Overall: 5/10 First of all, I'd like to acknowledge the incredible talent that went into making this album. Evey musician here is clearly a master at what they do. With that being said, I find Jazz to be a tough genre to fully immerse myself into. Monk is obviously a class A pianist and there were moments here that I really enjoyed. I just couldn't find anything about this album that I could sink my teeth into. I would still recommend it to people who are already into Jazz cause it's certainly a rollercoaster of an album that's worth giving a shot. Fav Song: Pannonica Least Fav Song: Bemsha Swing
Not really my thing, but he was tickling the hell out of those ivories!
I don't know if I really appreciate jazz. Its good background music...
All good but found it a bit boring.
Listened to this to kick off my work day, had me feelin’ slightly more creative. I can acknowledge the brilliance but as a jazz noob not sure if I can fully appreciate it.
I swear these jazz albums prove how musically illiterate I can be. I can read sheet music thanks to years of playing trumpet in school, but I never got into stuff like music theory or how people create music. I just learned how to play it. So every time I got a jazz album, I try to engage with it in a meaningful way, only to get lost somewhere. Maybe it’s because the tracks tend to be longer than “normal” music and thus easier to get lost in the groove. I get that’s the point, but it’s not my preference. That leads me to this album. The first two tracks were a miss to me. The title track felt a little too…experimental. Like jazz is more free lance, but this felt weird. Then, Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are was way too long for what I felt was background noise. I feel that’s kind of the problem with jazz for me. It’s set it and forget it music. If I can’t get into it, it just sort of meanders around. Honestly, I felt the saving grace was the second side of the album. The tracks there were more catchy, especially Bemsha Swing, which can get stuck in your head. And I Surrender, Dear was a very nice, soft piano piece. I feel given there are 5 songs on this album, I’ll give a star for each song I liked, which amounts to three. Favorite track: I Surrender, Dear Other hits: Bemsha Swing, Pannonica
Great jazz album. Jazz isn’t my first pick, and it is definitely not my favorite genre. However I really enjoyed this album. It was really great music to get work done to. I only wish I could give it a score somewhere between a 3-4.
Feels like a background music type of album. That could be my poor and underdeveloped ear talking. I do not have enough time to go through every change and evaluate it. But I think this might be a, not too plain, plain music that you put to describe sth visual, or not to get distracted by the other thing that you are doing. Nothing wrong with that. This is the music that we hear in a jazz bar, late in the afternoon, early evening, that you are out with a loved one and you are planning the future lighthearted but with a clear vision in mind. The color red pops into my mind, roses and satin sheets. How marketing has influenced me huh! One thing, not that unexpected, yet impressive nonetheless, is that this entire thing is made on the spot, it is improvised. This is, I guess, the beauty behind this “album” if we can call it that. Props to Thelonious, he raised the bar on what improv can be! Plus one star just for that…
Jazz is...Jazz. I mean, it's chill, but you know Jazz tend to get boring after 30 minutes.
Solidly enjoyable. Seems ahead of its time but I don’t know enough jazz history to properly contextualize.
Now in my experience, I’m not a fan of jazz but I didn’t hate this so 3 stars
Frokost Jazz. Deg kan lige svinge sig op på hyggeligt baggrundsmuzak
3/1001 Nothing bad about this album, I’m just not the right audience. For me it’s a bit to experimental as one of my first forays into jazz, and tbh it’s a bit boring. I get why people might appreciate it though. Great musicianship, fantastic production and sound. Just not for me. 3/5
molto jaaazz
Pleasant enough driving around music, which is how I experienced it yesterday
Definitely not an album I would’ve sought out on my own, so grateful for the opportunity to be exposed to it. This is good music I can confidently say, but it’s just not my bag. Jazz like this is something I can listen to and appreciate it, like fine art, but there’s no real listenability factor for me so it’s not like I’m listening for pleasure. That said, this is very good jazz and I’m glad to have finally listened to a Thelonious Monk record. I’ve known the name for a long time, so it’s cool to have finally been able to indulge. I think my favorite song though was the one that reminded me of the tune for “Cruella De Vil” (“Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are”) so that probably tells you all you need to know about my musical tastes.
3 - jazzy
Thought I would be way more to into this, but really found it quite dull 2.6/5
I understand and appreciate that this is important music.
Enjoyable jazz album Standout song: I Surrender, Dear
6/10. Washed over me.
Not bad
Gracias, que no se repita
Pleasant jazz.
Seems like an excellent jazz album, just not quite my style.
Wasn’t expecting to hear
Yes enjoyed this album
Can’t imagine a time when I would be in the mood to listen to this so I’m gonna skip it and say 3 stars
Jazz. Jazz, jazz. Jazz. Jazz.
really great album not really my type of music but very calming
Enjoyable jazzin'
I need to be in a dimly lit, smoky bar to properly enjoy this.
Pretty standard jazz
It was jazzy softy cuqui, perfect for some old classic late night cooking, am ir right?
Good. Satisfying, but nothing on here grabbed me enough to seek it out for additional listens in future.
Great jazz album, just not my speed.
I have been into the old school jazz lately but funny thing how this works... the more albums and artists I am introduced to, the less everything is just master class and amazing. Some stuff still is and will be, but I have become more picky in a way. I thought, for instance, that this was pretty good but not so strong as some things from the time. I think what I mean is jazz from the late 50's is ALL good! But there still is and always will be a pecking order of sorts, and for me, in this case, yeah, this album is OK.
Jazz! Excelente! Surreal que isso é da década de 50!
Truly top notch jazz. Monk's mastery of the piano shines here. Truly love this, but it's almost impossible to bump me up to four stars without lyrics.
Well, this was jazz. I don't love instrumental music most of the time, so this gets a maximum of 3 stars already, but he did keep it interesting!
I was concerned since I’m not normally a jazz girl but I liked this more than most! Surprised!
I didn't connect with this album. I didn't love side one - both the title track and Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are felt just a bit too stilted, abrupt, or liked it was lurching. I enjoyed side two more, a little smoother or more melodic. Particularly I Surrender Dear and Pannonica, although their intros were perhaps too similar. I'm sorry jazz lovers, I still don't get it.
Slightly more interesting than most of the jazz music we've listened to so far.
Bueno
Best jazz so far.
Yep, I've done the research and this is definitely jazz. I don't even know what to say here. It's fine, I guess. It's not unpleasant.
It's jazz. I don't have any special feelings towards the genre.
That was certainly jazz
Not for me personally, but I can appreciate it
3/5
I liked the cruella deville song!
Awesome
Not my typical cup of tea and if I did not know any better, I would say it sounds like any old modern jazz. On second listen, I started to hear runs that sounded familiar from Jeff Beck and Steely Dan songs and everything started to click. Brilliant Corners and Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are were not easy for me to listen to, but Pannonica and I Surrender Dear resonated with me much more.
5/10…Jazz, für 1957 sicherlich was besonderes…
A classic jazz album. Plenty of double bass, piano, Trumpet etc. Don't know a lot about the genre of jazz music. I know there are various types of it. This to me was what I would describe as classic jazz if there is such a thing. Enjoyed listening but bit repetitive.
Love Jazz and Thelonius but this is an EP. Shouldn’t be on an albums list. Good album but getting a 3 star review.
I was familiar with Thelonius Monk. Enjoyed the album- jazz is typically not for me but it was nice. Used it as background music for a dinner party.
Early morning jazz Nothing remarkable but good vibes
I quite enjoyed the first 20 minutes. I can tell its made with a lot of skill but I think jazz is something I have to enjoy in small bursts. Some Charles Mingus came on after and that was good though!
Very enjoyable album but it’s tough for me to say that this was too far beyond the level of coffee house jazz.
Pleasant background music.
музыкально и красиво но не совсем то настроение / темп что я люблю, хотя уши некоторых более поздних музыкантов увидела тут
Pretty good for jazz is still just okay for regular music. It all sounds the same about two songs in, and it gets pretty boring. Maybe I'm just traumatized from having two jazz albums in a row and fearing a third.
Music that makes you feel like you're too dumb to understand it. Maybe I'm just not in a jazz mood today. I do like the atmosphere and it sounds great. So I won't dock any points but I'm having trouble justifying going higher than *** either.
It's jazz, and at this point it'll have to do something seriously crazy (for better or worse) to sway me away from a 3/5 rating. The beginning of the opening/title track is a little worrying because, rhythm-wise, it feels almost free-jazz-like with the percussive uncertainty and lack of cemented rhythm. But then it hits its stride after a minute or two, and it's smooth sailing from there. Most of the remainder of the album is bouncy, joyful, unassuming jazz played by some of the genre's legends (including, of course, the great Thelonious Monk himself). But no track in particular really stands out. The sax and piano playing, particularly the sax solos (which are extremely plentiful), are fantastic, particularly in the title track and Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are; however, they're absent in the remaining three tracks, which are largely piano instrumental ballads. The lack of album flow isn't ideal and takes away from the listening experience. 3/5 Key tracks: none
It was fine
It' was background music to me but still pleasant to listen to. I'm not a massive fan of jazz but There were some moments that caught my attention. 6/10
Not typically the kind of jazz I listen to but I could see this sounded great when you are in the proper mood. Regardless not bad background music.
Nice jazz. Nothing less, nothing more, really.
Pretty good jazz album. Nothing really stood out to me but there were some pretty slick piano licks. Would listen to it again.
Not quite as irritating as other jazz aficionados, but I’m not sure why that first track took 12 takes. It’s all chaos.
jazzy
nice jazz album! quite enjoyed. jazz generally isn't really my taste though - it was a nice listen but i probably won't come back to it.
Horn heavy, not for me
I am sure it’s lovely jazz, I am just not sure about my love for jazz.
Bluesy and jazzy vibes. Was enjoying listening to this while working. Felt like I should be in a bar sipping a martini in a fancy dress. Not something I’d regularly listen to, though
Definitely a solid monk album but not my favourite (monk’s mood if you’re asking). The title track was the highlight for me and I was fascinated by the recording process for it- 25 takes, frustration with monk which eventually led to them having to splice takes together to get a final track. I love that for one take they thought there was something wrong with the bass set up as there wasn’t a signal until they realized he was just pretending to play because he totally couldn’t follow monk!
Jazz is one of those things where fans get so into it that I'm left feeling I'm missing something. It must be me, right, if people can be so obsessed they could reel off every band member for each recording of every song while I'm sat there going, meh? I did wonder how I knew the tune for Bemsha Swing, then I remembered it was used for F.U. by the chili peppers - so that's an embarrassing admission of my own cultural touchstones, I suppose
I’m just not a jazz fan. I never have been and probably never will be. With that, I can’t pretend this isn’t good… it’s just not for me.
Unfortunately jazz that makes you feel cool just isn’t as awesome as jazz that makes you feel like sitting in the sun
This was pretty good but nothing stood out like some other albums of similar genre.
Alright
its jazz
Nice jazz but i don't like jazz all that much
Classical Jazz.
Nice but still
I feel like I'm more and more learning that I'm just not really a jazz person. This one is fine, I don't mind listening to it, but I don't feel like it's particularly profound or engaging. It's just kind of there and it's fine. Clearly some very talented musicians, but I just don't connect Standouts - 3/5
Clearly there is a lot of talent on display here but the album itself feels like it's lacking. The complex and innovative composition falls flat for me when nothing else is really driving the music. That's not to say that it isn't enjoyable to listen to, it definitely is. Perhaps a few more listens would help me in appreciating it more.
Monky business
I liked this much more than the Miles Davis, but as I don't see myself listening to this again - I give it a 3. Enjoyable, but not memorable.
I tend to tune out jazz. It sets a nice mood though.
Classic late-night jazz. That's about the only time I listen to this genre, but I enjoyed this one in that context.
Solid, but not something I would normally listen to.
This was my fav jazz album we've had so far after 200+ albums. When I saw that it was released in 1957 I didn't expect it to sound like it could have been recorded in the past few years.
A lot more piano than I anticipated, but in a good way. Not the style of music I want to listen to on the daily but tolerable.
Standard classy jazz
Of it’s time
This is good. I probably need to know more about jazz outside of Miles Davies to understand the importance of this.
Classic jazz. Great piano.
Complex, dissonant, melodic
Damn this guy has such a recognisable style, great album. High 3.
Even I have heard of Thelonious Monk. According to the wiki article they recorded 25 takes of the title track and even after that they had to combine several of those takes in the final record. This perfectly illustrates my biggest problem with Jazz, too much technique too little emotion. So yet another Jazz album I don't give a fig about.
A nice, grooving jazz album. Can’t say much stood out to me, but it also didn’t offend either. Nice bass lines in a lot of the songs. I’d put it on as background music in the future.
Jazz, 1957 -> 3
I liked this album, a few jazz essentials that I recognized and was glad to hear after a long time not listening to anything jazz that wasn't on the big or small screen. Would listen again, but only after a few years.
Good record. Love the one he does. His own. ‘I surrender dear’
I felt that I should have liked this album much more than I did. For some reason, it sounded a bit repetitive to me. Maybe I'll give it another chance on another day.
Second Jazz album in a row - and I am not the hugest Jazz fan. It's okay music, you can listen to it in the background it just not that I am going to remember anything from it tomorrow or ever going to say: remember that great album, let's listen to it again. But it has nice melodies and a nice saxophone. I can imagine if you are into Jazz, that you can really enjoy this one.
Classic sounding jazz but maybe I’m just not a huge jazz fan, just feels repetitive and like the same thing after a while like you could just loop 10 minutes and it would all be the same
7/10 I always dread the Jazz ones, but this wasn’t bad at all. Excellent vibe, not boring like most so far. Great musicianship, piano excellent, bass propulsive, loved some of the drums. Sax good, even better when more brass joined. Best: Bemsha Swing
67 jaar na dato klinkt de opname nog wel fris, maar voor mij zit dit soort muziek toch te veel in het hokje 'artsy fartsy tingeltoeterjazz die het hart niet echt beroert'. Op een concert zou ik de neiging hebben om bier te gaan halen en erdoorheen te gaan kletsen...
Jazz vind ik altijd moeilijk te beoordelen. Jazz is sowieso veel improvisatie, maar ik onderscheid ze vaak in 2 categorieën. De eerste is megadruk en chaotisch, heel vermoeiend. In de tweede is iets meer lijn te ontdekken. Thelonious heeft er iets meer lijn in gelukkig. Als ik op de wiki ga zoeken wat hem nu zo uniek maakt, dan begrijp ik eruit dat hij op een andere manier piano speelt. Namelijk met vlakke vingers op de toetsen rossen, als een olifant, of zoals ik eerder zou zeggen een boer. Mij valt dat niet zo op, dat de toetsen extra hard en vlak doorkomen. Meer dat de drums een soort doffe schellen zijn. Leuk hoekje om af en toe in verzeild te raken, maar verre van briljant wat mij betreft.
Enjoyed the sound
Gear: Grado Hemp Artwork: 🪞🪞🪞🪞🪞 Mix: 🎧👂🧈 Musik: 🎷🎺🎹🎷🥁🎼🤯 Wertung: 🪞🪞🪞/5
Reconozco que el jazz me supera. Puedo entender melodías y, a veces, incluso empatizar, “sentir” la musicalidad, pero todo lo demás, el academicismo, la improvisación, los colores, etc., todo eso me pasa por encima.
This album was fueling my ADHD. All over the fucking place. Fun listen but not returning to this one.
Feels a few years ahead of its time. The band is playing really well here.
Just don’t care much for jazz but I can appreciate that this album is good. Piano parts are my favorite.
Not really a jazz kind of gal, but can certainly appreciate it when it’s there.
about halfway in, i genuinely started to worry i'd drifted off to the neighborhood of make-believe.
great album with only a few crazy parts - great morning music
Jazz just isn’t my thing but I definitely appreciate the talent
There used to be a jazz and sushi restaurant in Cambridge, MA called Thelonious Monkfish. I went once, it was pretty good. It's still there, but apparently they had to change the name because his estate got mad. Kind of weak if we're being honest. This has nothing to do with the quality of the album, but I don't have much to say about that so I'm writing this instead. The internet says this is "hard bop" jazz. I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds pretty bass-heavy to me, lots of low plodding bass notes. It's generally nice in the way that jazz in the background is nice to me, but not a whole lot standing out otherwise. I'm so bad at writing jazz reviews, for like 95% of these I just feel like it's good for what it is and the artist is clearly super talented but it's hard to compare to other genres. Oh well, it is what it is. This was nice. Favorite song: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are Other: Brilliant Corners, Bemsha Swing 7/1/24
126/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Kind of forgettable as an album, none of the tracks were interesting in terms of instrumental, Which is kinda disappointing. Something you pick up once and that's it.
good but not for me, I can't see myself listening to this but I might have just been in the wrong headspace
Finally a jazz album that's not Miles Davis or John Coltrane. A very complex, heady and musically rich sounding album that could also put you to a trance or sleep if you're tired. Opening track is very heady and abstract. The track Pannonica with its jingle bells and slow tempo almost feels like a lullaby. Overall an album to listen to if you want to listen to more jazz.
Lots of off-key and discordant chords. Stand out tracks: - Pannonica - I surrender, dear - Bemsha swing
Not a fan of this genre but they are talented musicians.
Calidad excelente, a veces un poco caótico para mi tierno oído
A lot of solid and uplifting moments, but it got too disjointed at times. I’m spoiled by finding Miles first
Maybe it’s because I’ve been sick the last couple of days but I could not fully vibe with this. I liked parts of this. And other times it got a tad too austere. 3.5/5
Monk's sense of time and choppy style are a bit jarring and takes some getting used to, his music often sounds a bit off. I enjoy some Monk every now and then when the mood hits me but this wouldn't be my top choice. I enjoyed this overall especially when compared to a lot of the other dreck I've been getting lately. More jazz please!
Like most jazz it all sounds the same to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Some very creative and interesting jazz, but it's also not totally my thing. The tracks had great buildup and performance, with the title track probably being my favorite.
This one was alright. I liked the drumming quite a bit. Favorite songs were Brilliant Corners and Bemsha Swing
Great background music
I'm a Coltrane guy. Love the Bass and drums on this album though.
A nice jazz album from Monk.
Great background music.
As much as I love to see some more jazz on the list, Monk isn't a huge favourite of mine, and neither is this album. The line up is fantastic, Rollins on sax, Roach on drums, Chambers on bass, it should be fantastic but instead it's just good. Worth a listen but doesn't bring out much excitement in me.
5/10 Thank you for your interest Mr. Monk, but we've decided to go with someone else. Your qualifications are magnificent and we can tell you are the kind of candidate that comes around once in a life time, but we simply don't have the kind of work for you that we feel would fulfill you. If I could invent a position I'd snap you up in a heart beat but I simply don't have the budget for someone of your caliber. I'll pass your interest on to a few people I know in the industry if you'd like and thanks again for stopping by. 6-3-2024
i liked it all but the best were pannonica bemsha swing. nothing else really stood out to me, although it was all pleasant listening.
Jazzy and fun
Incredible artist, generational talent. Not his best work.
Good album for a sunny ride to work.
Amazing flow!
Enjoyed this! This felt a little unpolished tho? Even accomodating for this style, it still seems that way? Also I’ve gotten used to really modern production so this was a bit jarring for me.
You need more than a day to absorb this. But will probably return to it on my continuing mid life jazz discovery. Actually not the most modern sounding for the late 50s, but nicely recorded and very classic. Nice.
I'm reading the novel Erasure at the moment with the main character Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, and this is the point where I realise why he has his nickname. To the music... it's ok. It's not particularly special. It sounds kind of generic, and doesn't appear (to me) to be doing anything that interesting or different. It just kind of plods along. It's pretty harmless in itself, and easy enough to listen to, which is about all I can say for it. 2.5 rounded up.
de nuevo: que bronca que mi papá tenga razón. 7,5/10
Not my cup of tea. Imprressionistisch though.
Overall pleasing to listen to, but jazz isn’t really my thing. I find it be meandering a lot of the time.
Fun background piano music.
Interesting 3/5
Not for me personally but it's hard not to at least respect the musicianship.
ok
Again, pretty good background/focus music. I actually liked this more than yesterday’s album (even though it still gets a 3).
idk anything about jazz
I heard all kinds of songs hidden in this album that were probably inspired by the monk. Fly me to the moon, in other words, etc.! But kind of boring compared to some jazz albums like mingus or bill evans
Monk war schon ne coole Socke.
6/10
Album 405 of 1001 Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners Rating : 3.5 / 5 Very good jazz. Not my favorite from the genre but certainly a fine listen.
I can appreciate this. The big band vibe makes it more soulful and fun, as opposed to other jazz records that seem so much like an exercise in technicalities that they lose out on emotion. Very good, Mr. Theolonious Monk! You made me feel something with your jazz. Standouts are Pannonica and Bemsha Swing.
Monk is one of the best pianists of jazz music. You will always here his distinct brilliant style that shows how important rhythm is. I'm not sure though if this album is the best example of his talent. His band mates are great but they overshadow up a bit of his talent I find Maybe it's just me but I prefer Monk with very sparse co-instrumentation.
Nice smooth jazz good for entry level listening or those with a more experienced ear. 3.5/5
I’m not a huge fan of jazz but it doesn’t feel fair to give this a 1 or 2 just because I don’t care for the genre much.
I’m sure it’s great. It’s just not my bag.
Charming jazz.
Some parts I got into, other parts that I didn't. Guess that's jazz baby.
Great Jazz. But struggled at the halfway mark.
nice!
This was nice enough. It is not as good as some of the other jazz I’ve heard so far from this list, so it’s just a 3 for me.
Some parts border on the anxiety inducing type of jazz that I can't get into. Overall, the good outweighs the bad.
Nice piano work from Monk. Pannonia was the highlight for me. Some early improv stuff from Sonny Rollins on the title track, which I guess was interesting.
Nice to listen to, but I jazz isn’t my favorite
3.5*
Probably good if you like jazz. I don’t.
In a train station not too far from here, there is a piano that anyone can sit at and play. Sometimes Monk sounds like the drunk guy who plonks himself there at 11.30 at night and hammers away. Grossly unfair, I know, but sometimes this record is a tough listen, unlike, for example, the be-bop offerings of Parker et al or the later genius of, say, Miles and Gil Evans. Technically, I have no doubt that this is all very impressive but it ain't always enjoyable. I will, however, persevere (I bought the damn CD, for Christ's sake...).
I really didn't give it a hard listen, the first track I found a little squirrely the second track was more melodic, Rollin's sax was sweet. I have to revisit, I'm not familiar with T. Monk classics.
Babbity
no idea how to evaluate this. quite free-form and experimental, but i did like it. i think
djass, voða snotur. af hverju ekki? 3,5
Very pleasant sounding, but there is a ceiling to how much I will enjoy a jazz album with no vocals like this one.
Same deal as Tim Buckley. This was fine, very jazzy but the instrumentals r wearing on me.
The drum solo in Ba-Lue was extremely swingin. The other songs were pretty good. Idk, I don’t love listening to jazz but this is a good jazz album. 6.5/10
6/10 - Pretty good but I need to be in the right mood to listen to jazz. That mood was not when i was listening to it. Insaneintherain made a jazz cover of pokemon songs that I absolutely love because he took the songs that I liked and made them even more jazzy which was great. Sometimes jazz on its own does not do it for me.
Jazz/10
Smooth
Its some good jazz
It's an
Jazzy
This was kinda fun
Nr. 151/1001 Brilliant Corners 3/5 Ba-Lue Bolivar 2/5 Pannonica 3/5 I Surrender, Dear 2/5 Bemsha Swing 3/5 Average: 2,6 Thought this was pretty boring. There are way better Jazz albums on this list.