Thelonious Monk It's Monk Time

Renowned and revered for his improvisational abilities,
his contributions to the lexicon of jazz standards, and
his many innovations in composition, it's no wonder that
Thelonius Monk's catalog is one of the most recorded of
all time. (Topped only by Duke Ellington.) An eccentric
and quirky pianist, Monk's recordings were marked by
strategic dissonance, abrupt key changes, and the
usage of silence as an instrument, a style which was
not fully understood in its time, (One jazz critic referred
to Monk as "the elephant at the keyboard") but would
prove highly influential to the likes of Wynton Marsalis,
Mulatu Astatke, Chick Corea, and even his
contemporaries like Miles Davis and Charles Mingus.
When the mid-60s rolled around, many considered
Thelonius Monk's best days to be behind him, but
in fact some of his most accomplished and deft
arrangements can be found on his 1964 release It's
Monk's Time. The album is a much more relaxed and
casual outing for the post-bop innovator, often known
for noise experimentation. (To the degree that many
die-hard Monk fans would disown It's Monk's Time.)
Despite its relaxed sound, Monk and his power trio
backing band of Charlie Rouse on sax, Butch Warren
on bass, and Ben Riley on drums bring grounded
muscle to Monk's exploratory and ambient piano.
A worthy, 6-song addition to any jazz
aficionado's collection, and some of Monk's
most robust compositions.