Search - Thelonious Monk :: Brilliant Corners

A Musical Feast

James Denson | Hempstead , NY | 03/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Brilliant Corners is probably my favorite Monk CD. That's saying alot, because I have more than 10 of them. For me, the first 3 selections are intoxicating. As great as Monk is throughout, the horn men keep me coming back to this CD time after time.



Alto saxophonist Ernie Henry excels on Bolivar Blues with a straight-forward, effective solo. One can only imagine what he could have accomplished had he not died so prematurely in 1958-less than 2 years after this album was released.



A familiar observation about Monk's music is that it is exceedingly difficult to play. While I can't confirm or deny this with any kind of intellectual depth, I do hear what sounds to me like hesitation in some parts of the tenor sax solos, esp. on Bolivar Blues. Nevertheless, tenor man Sonny Rollins is a revelation here. He seems to play most freely on Brilliant Corners; while his work on Bolivar Blues is motivational; and on Pannonica, he is stunningly poignant. The overall musical beauty of Pannonica is all the more pronounced when one considers that Monk wrote it for the Baroness Pannonica de Koeningswarter-the legendary patron and close friend to so many jazz musicians, including Monk and Charlie Parker. It also doesn't hurt that Monk and Rollins enjoyed a rare musical and personal rapport.



Those with far more musical training than I can debate the difficulty of Monk's music. But one thing is clear: as difficult as it may be to play, it is NOT hard to listen to. Hearing the collective brilliance of Monk, Rollins, Henry, Max Roach Oscar Pettiford and Clark Terry on this CD makes me a stand a bit straighter, walk a bit taller, and appreciate jazz all the more."