Brilliant Corners

Classic jazz. Phenomenal players. I do like jazz, so this was a pleasure.

Damn, Monk makes some good jazz. The tunes here just come together quite well like a symphony and it doesn't feel like any note is wasted. I feel like I still have a bit to go before I'm a real jazz enthusiast but this was a nice album

Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk is a lovely little jazz gem that makes for a perfect relaxing evening. It’s short, sweet, and harmonious, without ever feeling boring or predictable. Monk has a way of making the piano sound both playful and effortlessly cool. The music feels like a conversation between old friends, occasionally interrupted by someone with a particularly interesting opinion. There’s a nice balance between calm, warmth, and little moments of musical mischief. It’s relaxing without being sleepy, which is always a bonus when you’re trying to unwind without accidentally summoning a nap. The album has a timeless quality that makes it feel just as fitting for a quiet evening at home as for a late-night drink. I especially enjoyed how everything feels so natural, despite the complexity hiding beneath the surface. It’s the kind of jazz that doesn’t demand your full attention but rewards you when you give it. A brief but satisfying listen that leaves you in a slightly better mood than before. Perfect for winding down, pretending to understand jazz theory, or simply enjoying the fact that some things don’t need to be overcomplicated.

4,5! Those nuances in between the songs themselves or at the endings made me extremely involved.

Cohesion: - Songs are focused on clear genre - jazz - Instruments and sound belong in the same room to create the jazz sound as we know it - Uses great structure from beginning to end and the style Production: - Well produced recording with use of live instruments - Can hear different instruments used like piano, saxophone, bass and drums which feel convincing and have a great balance of sound - Tracks feel and sound finished and complete - The way they have arranged drums and kicks to be towards the back of he tracks and higher frequency instruments like saxophone and piano toward the front give it an immersive experience of being in a jazz bar Songwriting / Composition - Main instrument is compelling lead by the saxophones or piano at times - Each song has a memorable beat but repeats it too often making it monotone - Reaches a satisfying climax Enjoyability: - Overall, album failed to hold my attention due to it sounding monotone - Low replay value and personal connection - What I can recall after the album ends is the use of different instruments to create this jazz album Songs liked: 1/5 Type of album I’d put on in the background if I was in a jazz mood but very rare

Brilliant jazz that makes you feel smarter just by listening.

no es mi estilo

I haven't really developed an ear for jazz. I feel like jazz is something that I enjoy seeing performed live but listening to it casually is not something I really do. Not to say this is bad, I respect and admire the craft and skill it takes to play an instrument so intuivitely. I love when each player gets their moment to shine and it's very much a collaboration.

Solid fan of Monk, as my band teacher in hs recommended him. One of my fav bands Hiatus Kaiyote credit him as the reason the 3 of them started music. Love me some jazz. With most jazz records, there never is really songs that stand out, so I just liked the whole thing lol

This was nice. I’ve known of Thelonius Monk for a long time but I’ve never actually listened to him. It’s nice, impressive jazz instrumentals. It’s very passive though

Great jazz, perfect for studying which is what I used it for.

not my favourite jazz album on this list. There were quite a few where I was pleasantly surprised, but unfortunatly, this isnt one of them

me like some jazz

Very nice listen, but really it is background music isn’t it?

4/5

Dude has an absolutely awesome name, this didn't really work for me though, too much pussyfooting around

no takie simsy kariera vibe

Potentially good album spoilt by a horribly out of thunder piano

Brilliant Corners is absolutely wild. It sounds like an alt-universe interpretation of a 1950s jazz album. Everything is slightly unwound, drunk and unstable. It really could be the out of tune piano that does it for me. I usually like my jazz to have a bit of aggression on menace in it, but here is a perfectly laid back piece which never ceases to put you on the edge of your seat. It's fascinating and impossible to take your focus away from.

Going a low 5 on this after a couple of listens, always enjoyed Monk but this is up there with my post-bop and modal favs

Det är jazz, kort och gott.

Yesterday after pub was not feeling super great so only getting around to this gem right now and today is my last day at work! Very happy to see an album from the gret Monk included in the list. And it was already obvious before just how severly misrepresented jazz is here.. So it's a real treat to get some Monk, this is great stuff. Objectively I would rate it at 4 stars however feeling even a little bit generous, it only needs a tiny edge for me to reach perfection. No one played the keys like monk did, there is absolutetely no doubt about that and then you also have great Saxophone Collosus Sonny Rollins as well so what more could you want really? I just went and increased my RYM rating from 4.0 to 4.5 as I really like at least 4 out of 5 tracks so I think I will give this one top marks here as well.

a surprisingly chill, enjoyable start to my morning in the library - excellent study music

not really into that sorta jazz tbh, was aight but would never usually listen to it

Obviously good music - I just think nowadays there’s a lot more fun Jazz to listen to. Likely it’s all based on this though so credit for that. Just didn’t find it a wonderful active listening experience. :(

I like jazz. I don't have an ear for jazz. These are true in equal measure. Jazz as a genre often feels like it is a lot less structured than most genres, something which of course wildly varies and depends on the artist performing and the composer composing, with verses and choruses being very much optional and instrumentals being far more present. Apparently this album is a composed piece, a very tightly and technically composed one, but as I say I don't have an ear for it. I would fully believe you if I was told this was an improvised suite. I would counter and tell you it was a good improvised suite, but not correct the mistake, and in my experience improvised pieces are less enjoyable to me personally than the tightly controlled pieces this album is made up of, but that I can't identify as such. A good album, hard to deny, but perhaps not an enjoyable one. Technically impressive more than fun.

Did I listen to Thelonious Monk already? I am not sure. I know it's Jazz. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Piano noodling extraordinaire. Yet again I don't see it with naked Jazz. I don't think I have any part of me that feels anything it's trying to put across. Sure the musicians are technically gifted but it just doesn't come together into anything that I can identify with. I don't feel like I want to move, I have no emotional response, it's just a void. I am not sure if it's good or bad - ask a Jazz head. The drums at least hold it together when they are permitted to be about. 1*

Of all my years of listening to jazz and being fairly familiar with Monk I had never heard this album before so props to the generator for that. This album is fantastic! Monk is one of my favorite jazz musicians and everything that makes him a virtuoso on this album is on full display. Not to mention he's teamed up with two more of my favorite jazz musicians in Sonny Rollins on tenor and Max Roach on drums. It all adds up to a thoroughly enjoyable jazz record and one that will become a new favorite for me. 5/5 Two curious questions, why does Monk only get one record and why of all his records this one? Not saying that it was a bad choice but I would like to know why this one over like "Misterioso" or "Monk's Music."

Too jazz-chaotic for my tastes.

That pissed me off

Good stuff

I don't have the ability to tell good from bad jazz. This was good, but not sure I'd revisit? I appreciate the skill.

What a goat. Seriously amazing album showcasing Monk’s talent. Always love his music, as he has the capability to just capture your attention in a very special way. Imagine giving this album a 1 star… Couldn’t be me. LOL

There is not enough jazz on this list. But please we can’t get enough boring Britpop albums.

Jazzy 👐

Not for me this one. Found it rather impenetrable. It's like they played for 40 minutes looking for some kind of melody. Just as I thought I was beginning to understand jazz a little this comes along. Oh well back to square one.

Love Monk!

Nice little jazz album. Not my favorite but definitely a good way to set the mood for a nice morning at work.

I am by far not knowledgeable enough to give an in-depth review of this album. I feel like it is pretty good, nothing amazingn though. 'Pretty Decent Corners' feels like a more suitable name for the album. 3/5

I mean it's Jazz. Ok once you get into it but not that much going on to convince me that jazz has something I'm missing.

Avslappnad jazz. Piano av hög kvalité. 3,5 av 5.

Properly fun stuff

I dislike jazz….but I didn’t dislike this

Easy listening

Enjoyed

eh, pretty generic jazz album

good

1. "Brilliant Corners" 2. "I Surrender, Dear" 3. "Bemsha Swing"

Pretty mid low 3

4/5. Listened to this in the morning and that was honestly the right call, this is a nice and chill jazz record with some great playing. But the relaxed vibe of it doesn’t do service to how complex these compositions actually are. The story goes that the title track alone took over a dozen takes to get right. There’s a lot of weird little deviations from typical song structure here yet it all flows very well. And though this is a Monk album, Sonny Rollins has some great sax playing all over this record as well.

Very nice, but i feel that the lack of lyrics is holding back the ability of this album to absolutely rock.

Doesn’t matter what jazz album you throw at me, I’m never going to like it… this isn’t the worse one and the last track was pretty pleasant

Really good for that genre of jazz. Solo Flight is better - just Monk on the piano.

I do not get Jazz at all.

Not for me. If there wasn’t a saxophone it is reminiscent of a doorbell

decent

Beautiful and timeless

3/5 need to listen more

🫪

Easy to listen to, but not necessarily notable. I would definitely throw this on again in the background while I worked. Favorite Tracks: Brillian Corners Pannonica

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

This sits among my favorite jazz albums ever. It has that rare quality where every listen still feels alive and a little surprising. Monk’s writing and playing are full of sharp angles and strange beauty, and the band sounds completely locked into his logic without smoothing it out. The title track alone is a masterclass in controlled tension. The melodies lean sideways, the rhythms push and pull, and yet everything lands with a clear internal sense. Sonny Rollins, Max Roach and the rest of the group give Monk the perfect balance of support and friction. Nothing feels polite or predictable. The recording is clear and present in the way good 1950s Riverside sessions often are. You can hear the room and the touch of each instrument. The sound has body and enough air to let the music breathe. Brilliant Corners is a record I keep returning to. It is demanding in the best way and deeply satisfying every time.

2.20

OK. 2/5

Jazz. And I'm not really good at telling one jazz apart from another. Seemed alright

The one riff they played well well great. The rest of the album sounded like a terrible rehearsal. Not a jazz fan.

I used to work at a jazz station and found Thelonious Monk there. It was a great experience then and still is now.

What a treat! Complex, energetic, smooth, beautiful, groovy. Not for a daily rotation though. Enjoy responsibly and in moderation!

Iskreno bas lose. Svaka mi je pjesma ista bila i nije mi se bas dalo ni slušat

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"

I realize this is brilliant, but it's piano, it's horns, it's jazz, so, for me, no.

I like it. I don't understand it, but I like it.

Favorite Song: Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are Least Favorite: Pannonica

Clanky melodies

Didn't grab me all the way through, but definitely had moments where I was absolutely in the jam. I was a little disappointed that it was listed as "piano jazz" but I thought the piano was one of the weaker elements, though it wasn't _bad_ by any means. Overall, an enjoyable listen. Definitely no John Coltrane, the person falling over on the piano in this album didn't do it right. Still a 4.

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

A beautiful balance of the melodic and the abstract. You can almost hear the rules being rewritten

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.

Helt OK Jazzalbum. Ikke det helt store

Standouts Bemsha Swing

Amazing

It was alright

It started off and I thought I was being subjected to yet another haphazard jazz monstrosity. Surprised me.

Ah, so this is hard bop. The music swings, but Monk’s angular melodies and unexpected pauses keep catching me off guard. There’s something playful about the way the pieces refuse to go quite where I expect them to. The playing is impressive, but I enjoy the little surprises more than the technical display. 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮 is my favourite, particularly for Monk’s celesta playing. His tribute to jazz patron Pannonica de Koenigswarter has a tenderness that really appeals to me, and those bell-like notes give it a lovely, unusual colour. It’s a gentler sort of surprise than the twists elsewhere on the album, but just as effective. I came for the hard bop and left wanting more celesta.

I appreciate the musicianship, but jazz isn't something I will actively put on. I enjoyed learning that his god given name is indeed Thelonious Monk, a new fun fact to me. Only a 5 song album but boy is each one sprawling.

Wow! That was surprising. A little bit too complicated for me but perfect jazz music.

Undeniably pretty interesting technique wise but I think the momentum is all over the place and the piano is mixed weirdly quiet tried a different mix and I still couldn't crack it - can see it being higher but have to go 2 for now

I really like Monk. I can dig the weird, jolty, anxious energy he's got, but he knows how to groove too. This one's good, it's solid, Sonny is goated.

I really enjoyed this. I’ve listened to a lot of live jazz where performers don’t know when to use a “wrong” note and it really soured me on the concept, but Monk being a master knows how to make it sound good.

starting my journey to avoid streaming and fearing the ai music everywhere (maddening!!!) I decided to give this project a try again. this album is nice and warm, very relaxing but not without it's sweet energy!

I am enjoying some of the stuff this list offers. It's a lot of fun discovering music I never would have sought out myself. Monk makes some good music.

It was ok

More like Thelonious Funk. 2/5

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.

Viihdyttävä ja miellyttävä varsin hyvä opiskelun taustalle

It’s a groove! Nice to hear Sonny Rollins on this one, too.