Thelonious Monk first made it onto phonograph records in 1941 but didn't get to record as a leader until he was 30-years-old in 1947. In 2005, Naxos Jazz selected 20 examples of Monk's best works recorded for the Verve, Blue Note, and Prestige labels during a period of time extending from June 6, 1950 to December 18, 1952. Monk is heard with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Curly Russell, and Buddy Rich (tracks 1-2); with Sahib Shihab, Milt Jackson, Al McKibbon, and Art Blakey (tracks 3-8); with Kenny Dorham, Lou Donaldson, Lucky Thompson, Nelson Boyd, and Max Roach (tracks 9-12); with Gary Mapp and Art Blakey (tracks 13-16) and with Mapp and Roach on tracks 17-20. This means that over the course of a 30-month period, Monk made records with some of the most advanced musical minds of his generation. While the Naxos compilation does not touch upon every single title dating from this portion of Monk's prolific career, the selections were chosen with care. This is a superb sampler of Monk's best work from the early 1950s, and especially those who don't have any Monk in the house really ought to consider pouncing on it.
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