Thelonious Monk - The Best of the Blue Note Years

For listeners unsure about diving into Monk's entire Blue Note catalog, this best-of roundup makes for a very fine alternative. Covering his bebop-era work from the late '40s and early '50s, the 16-track collection finds Monk in his early prime with such up-and-coming jazz standards as "Ruby, My Dear," "In Walked Bud," "'Round Midnight," and "Straight No Chaser." And unlike much of the pianist's later work on Riverside and Columbia, here the sound is compact and fleet, with some of the best solos to be heard on any classic bop date. One can especially credit the likes of Lou Donaldson, Lucky Thompson, Kenny Dorham, and Art Blakey for that. And there's several stellar sidemen and 12 sides of peak jazz still to mention. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al McKibbon Bass Alfred Lion Producer Art Blakey Drums Bob Paige Bass Danny Quebec West Sax (Alto) Doug Hawkins Engineer Franko Caligiuri Design Gene Ramey Bass George Taitt Trumpet Harry Smith Engineer Idrees Sulieman Trumpet John Simmons Bass Kenny Dorham Trumpet Lou Donaldson Sax (Alto) Lucky Thompson Sax (Tenor) Max Roach Drums Michael Cuscuna Compilation Producer Milt Jackson Vibraphone Nelson Boyd Bass Ron McMaster Digital Transfers Sahib Shihab Sax (Alto) Shadow Wilson Drums Thelonious Monk Piano William Gottlieb Photography