Search - Thelonious Monk Quartet :: Monk's Dream

(SACD-HYBRID) With the arrival of Thelonious Sphere Monk, modern music-let alone modern culture-simply hasn't been the same. Recognized as one of the most inventive pianists of any musical genre, Monk achieved a startlingly original sound that even his most devoted followers have been unable to successfully imitate. His musical vision was both ahead of its time and deeply rooted in tradition, spanning the entire history of the music from the 'stride' masters of James P. Johnson and Willie 'the Lion' Smith to the tonal freedom and kinetics of the 'avant garde. ' By 1961, Monk had established a more or less permanent quartet consisting of Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, John Ore (later Butch Warren and then Larry Gales) on bass, and Frankie Dunlop (later Ben Riley) on drums. This important album, Monk's first after a long absence from the recording studio, is a stunning reaffirmation of his power as a performer and composer. It is a brilliant and absorbing program of five Monk originals and three standards. Newly remastered on hybrid SACD. Mastered by Bernie Grundman.