Thelonious Monk - Monks Dream '1963 [2019]

Artist	Thelonious Monk Related artists
Album name	Monks Dream
Country
Date	1963 [2019]
Genre	Jazz
Play time	00:43:28
Format / Bitrate	Stereo 11290 Kbps / 2822.4 kHz MP3 320 Kbps
Media	DSD
Size	1,76 GB (+3\%rec.)
Price	Download $8.95

Order this album and it will be available for purchase and further download within 12 hours

Pre-order album

Tracks list

The historical import, musical genius, and timeless artistry of Monks Dream can
be best appreciated by first placing the record in the context of its era. In
short, Thelonious Monks joyful Columbia Records debut triggered a domino effect
of mainstream attention, best-selling success, and across-the-board respect that
led him to become one of only six jazz musicians to ever grace the cover of Time
â€“ then Americas most widely read weekly magazine. Couple the
extraordinary feat with the fact the British Invasion and Beatlemania were
already in full swing, and the cultural significance â€“ not to mention its
place in the jazz canon â€“ of Monks Dream skyrockets to near-unthinkable
heights.

Mastered from the original master tapes and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered
copies, Mobile Fidelitys numbered-edition hybrid SACD pays tribute to the 1963
albums merit and enhances the music for generations to come. This
audiophile-grade collectors edition strips away any lingering audio limitations
to provide a clear, transparent, and up-close view of a set that inspired
DownBeat to award the record a five-star review in which critic Pete Welding
correctly proclaimed it a stunning reaffirmation of [Monks] powers as a
performer and composer.

Such potency reveals itself as all the more obvious on an SACD afforded stellar
reproduction of the multi-layered complexities, challenging tonalities, and
nontraditional rhythms that conspire to place Monks finest outings in a league
of their own. Accurately portraying the complete scale of a piano remains one of
the most difficult tasks to accomplish on a recording. And yet the sound of
Monks instrument here captures its wide-bandwidth frequency response and inner
cavity, allowing notes to individually register all the while pairing with
succeeding and decaying chords in seamless fashion. The presence, tones, and
contributions of the colleagues surrounding Monk â€“ tenor saxophonist
Charlie Rouse, bassist John Ore, and drummer Frankie Dunlop â€“ come
across, too, with a lifelike realism rivaled only by sitting in an intimate
club.

Benefitting from the newfound immediacy, clarity, and ink-black backgrounds on
Mobile Fidelitys reissue are five originals and three covers that demonstrate
the boundless vistas of Monks vision, aptitude, and inventiveness. As acclaimed
scribe Gary Giddins wrote while reminding us the North Carolina natives motto
was jazz is freedom, Monks Dream exposes his dauntless concentration, impressive
faith, and an almost childlike glee. These traits spark works such as the spry
interpretation of Body and Soul, which Monk handles sans accompaniment, and
guide the quirky angles that snake around and shape Bolivar Blues, the title of
which refers to a Manhattan hotel.

Throughout, Monks Dream conveys an exhilarating freedom that mirrors the
improvisational twists, dissonant techniques, and melodic turns Monk embraced
not only in the studio (and on the stage) but in everyday life. Considered by
some to be too idiosyncratic for his own good, his flawless craftsmanship,
underlying irreverence, and deep-seated knowledge of swing, stride, blues, and
gospel raise this 1963 album to mythical levels â€“ and let the inner
contours, deliberate phrasings, and urgent solos on tracks like Bye-Ya and the
title cut exhibit new details, themes, and directions with each listen.

Indeed, above everything, Monks Dream encourages constant exploration and repeat
plays. Forever bursting with fresh ideas, it refuses to stand still, instead
buzzing with the energy of a city celebrating its internal commotion and dancing
to the influences that made its current modernism possible. Monk was just
decades ahead of everyone else in figuring out how this seemingly incongruent
yet delightfully cool tango sounded. Fortunately for the rest of us, he
documented it and called it Monks Dream

Tracks:

01. Monkâ€™s Dream 05:45
02. Body and Soul 04:34
03. Bright Mississippi 07:58
04. Five Spot Blues 03:19
05. Bolivar Blues 06:30
06. Just a Gigolo 02:33
07. Bye-Ya 05:28
08. Sweet and Lovely 07:52

Personnel:

Thelonious Monk (piano)
Charlie Rouse (tenor sax)
John Ore (bass)
Frankie Dunlop (drums)
Teo Macero (producer)