Thelonious Monk - The Complete Riverside Recordings [1986] (15 x CDs)

SUNDAY JAZZ

THELONIOUS MONK

Thelonious Monk - The Complete Riverside Recordings [1986] (15 x CDs)

This sprawling set is Monk at his most exploratory, his most lyrical, and definitely his most eccentric Issued in 1986 by Riverside Records, this 15-CD box captures everything Monk recorded for the label between 1955 and 1961. That means full albums, alternate takes, rehearsals, studio chatter, live cuts, and some gems that had never seen the light of day before.

Think Brilliant Corners, Monk’s Music, Thelonious Himself, and the sublime Solo Monk sessions, each loaded with surprises. There’s Coltrane, Rollins, Blakey, Pettiford, Max Roach, even Monk’s rare full-orchestra outing at Town Hall (1959) tucked inside. This wasn’t just documentation, it was a celebration.

Rare inclusions like false starts and multiple takes of pieces like Crepuscule with Nellie let you peek into Monk’s creative process. He wasn’t a one-and-done kind of guy, he tinkered, reshaped, and made silence sing louder than most would dare.

The mastering respects the analog warmth of the original tapes, with much of it recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, ground zero for jazz royalty. Each disc feels alive, full of texture, nuance, and space.

If you’re diving into jazz’s deep end, then this is a compass. Monk didn’t just bend rules. He rewrote them. And Riverside caught every twist. (B)

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Track lists

CD01

01 Thelonious Monk - It Don't Mean A Thing (If it Ain't Got That Swing) 4:38

02 Thelonious Monk - Sophisticated Lady 4:28

03 Thelonious Monk - I Got it Bad (And That Ain't Good Enough) 5:53

04 Thelonious Monk - Black and Tan Fantasy 3:26

05 Thelonious Monk - Mood Indigo 3:14

06 Thelonious Monk - I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart 5:41

07 Thelonious Monk - Solitude 3:43

08 Thelonious Monk - Caravan 5:57

09 Thelonious Monk - Liza, All The Clouds'll Roll Away 3:12

10 Thelonious Monk - Memories of You 4:17

11 Thelonious Monk - Honeysuckle Rose 5:33

12 Thelonious Monk - Darn That Dream 6:31

13 Thelonious Monk - Tea for Two 5:55

CD02

01 Thelonious Monk - You Are Too Beautiful 4:56

02 Thelonious Monk - Just You, Just Me 8:00

03 Thelonious Monk - Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are 13:25

04 Thelonious Monk - Pannonica - opening (previously unissued) 2:36

05 Thelonious Monk - Pannonica 8:52

06 Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners 7:49

07 Thelonious Monk - Bemsha Swing 7:53

08 Thelonious Monk - I Surrender, Dear 5:32

CD03

01 Thelonious Monk - I Don't Stand A Ghost of A Chance With You (Take 5 - Previously issuedonly in... 4:14

02 Thelonious Monk - I Don't Stand A Ghost of A Chance With You (Take 7 - originally issued) 4:23

03 Thelonious Monk - I Should Care (Take 1 - previously unissued) 3:30

04 Thelonious Monk - I Should Care (Take 2 - previously issued only in Italy) 3:21

05 Thelonious Monk - I Should Care (Take 3 - originally issued) 3:15

06 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight - in progress 21:57

07 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight (Take 7 - originally issued) 6:42

08 Thelonious Monk - April in Paris 3:53

09 Thelonious Monk - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 4:06

10 Thelonious Monk - Monk's Mood - false start (previously unissued) 0:59

11 Thelonious Monk - Monk's Mood 7:53

CD04

01 Thelonious Monk - Functional (Take 1 - alternate) 9:43

02 Thelonious Monk - Functional (Take 2 - originally issued) 9:19

03 Thelonious Monk - All Alone 4:52

04 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie (Take 1 on June 25 - previously unissued) 4:34

05 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie - breakdown (previously unissued) 1:01

06 Thelonious Monk - Blues for Tomorrow 13:32

07 Thelonious Monk - Off Minor (Take 4 - alternate) 5:14

08 Thelonious Monk - Off Minor (Take 5 - originally issued) 5:08

09 Thelonious Monk - Abide With Me 0:54

10 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie (Takes 4/5 - previously unissued) 4:46

11 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie (Take 6 - originally issued) 4:40

CD05

01 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy - fragment 1:46

02 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy 10:45

03 Thelonious Monk - Well, You Needn't - opening (previously unissued) 1:26

04 Thelonious Monk - Well, You Needn't 11:23

05 Thelonious Monk - Ruby, My Dear (with Coleman Hawkins) 5:25

06 Thelonious Monk - Ruby, My Dear (with John Coltrane) 6:18

07 Thelonious Monk - Nutty 6:37

08 Thelonious Monk - Trinkle, Tinkle 6:38

09 Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser (Take 1 - alternate) 5:28

10 Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser (Take 3 - originally issued) 6:58

11 Thelonious Monk - Rhythm-A-Ning 5:20

CD06

01 Thelonious Monk - I Mean You (Take 1 - alternate) 6:21

02 Thelonious Monk - I Mean You (Take 2 - alternate) 6:31

03 Thelonious Monk - I Mean You (Take 4 - originally issued) 6:51

04 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight 8:28

05 Thelonious Monk - Decidedly (Take 4 - originally issued stereo take) 5:52

06 Thelonious Monk - Decidedly (Take 5 - originally issued monaural take) 6:35

07 Thelonious Monk - Sweet and Lovely 7:15

08 Thelonious Monk - Coming on The Hudson 6:03

09 Thelonious Monk - In Orbit 4:40

10 Thelonious Monk - One Foot in The Gutter 7:21

CD07

01 Thelonious Monk - Trust in Me 4:30

02 Thelonious Monk - Let's Cool One 4:56

03 Thelonious Monk - Pea Eye 4:29

04 Thelonious Monk - Argentia 6:13

05 Thelonious Monk - Moonlight Fiesta 2:35

06 Thelonious Monk - Buck's Business 3:22

07 Thelonious Monk - Flugelin' The Blues 7:01

08 Thelonious Monk - Very Near Blue 3:04

09 Thelonious Monk - Evidence (previously unissued) 10:15

10 Thelonious Monk - Blues Five Spot 9:55

11 Thelonious Monk - In Walked Bud / Epistrophy (theme) 10:57

CD08

01 Thelonious Monk - unidentified solo piano 1:54

02 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight 6:16

03 Thelonious Monk - Bye-Ya / Epistrophy (theme) (previously unissued) 11:55

04 Thelonious Monk - Light Blue 5:15

05 Thelonious Monk - Coming on The Hudson 5:23

06 Thelonious Monk - Rhythm-A-Ning 9:28

07 Thelonious Monk - Just a Gigolo 2:08

08 Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk 8:29

09 Thelonious Monk - Evidence 8:45

10 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy (theme) 1:07

CD09

01 Thelonious Monk - Nutty 5:22

02 Thelonious Monk - Blues Five Spot 8:12

03 Thelonious Monk - Let's Cool One 9:15

04 Thelonious Monk - In Walked Bud 11:20

05 Thelonious Monk - Misterioso 10:47

06 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy (theme - #2) 1:04

07 Thelonious Monk - In Walked Bud 7:08

08 Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk 8:20

CD10

01 Thelonious Monk - Rhythm-A-Ning 6:52

02 Thelonious Monk - Monk's Mood 10:19

03 Thelonious Monk - Friday The 13th 9:30

04 Thelonious Monk - Little Rootie Tootie 8:53

05 Thelonious Monk - Off Minor 7:49

06 Thelonious Monk - Thelonious 3:03

07 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule with Nellie 4:50

08 Thelonious Monk - Little Rootie Tootie - encore 8:31

CD11

01 Thelonious Monk - Played Twice (Take 1 - 2nd alternate) 6:57

02 Thelonious Monk - Played Twice (Take 2 - alternate) 7:54

03 Thelonious Monk - Played Twice (Take 3 - originally issued) 8:01

04 Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser 9:22

05 Thelonious Monk - Ask Me Now 10:47

06 Thelonious Monk - I Mean You 9:49

07 Thelonious Monk - Jackie-ing 6:07

08 Thelonious Monk - Round Lights 3:37

09 Thelonious Monk - Pannonica 3:53

10 Thelonious Monk - Blue Monk 3:44

CD12

01 Thelonious Monk - Ruby, My Dear 3:59

02 Thelonious Monk - There's Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie (Take 1 - alternate) 4:06

03 Thelonious Monk - There's Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie (Take 2 - originally issued) 4:20

04 Thelonious Monk - Everything Happens to Me 5:39

05 Thelonious Monk - Reflections 5:07

06 Thelonious Monk - Remember 2:44

07 Thelonious Monk - Bluehawk 3:39

08 Thelonious Monk - You Took The Words Right Out of My Heart 4:03

09 Thelonious Monk - San Francisco Holiday (previously unissued) 8:51

10 Thelonious Monk - Just You, Just Me (previously unissued) 7:10

11 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight (previously unissued) 7:54

12 Thelonious Monk - San Francisco Holiday (Take 2 - alternate) 8:32

CD13

01 Thelonious Monk - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 6:12

02 Thelonious Monk - Evidence 7:07

03 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy (theme) 1:02

04 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy 6:39

05 Thelonious Monk - Four in One (take 1) 7:34

06 Thelonious Monk - Let's Call This 8:34

07 Thelonious Monk - 'Round Midnight 12:05

08 Thelonious Monk - San Francisco Holiday (Worry Later) (take 3) 9:09

09 Thelonious Monk - Four in One (take 2) 8:42

10 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy (theme) 1:15

CD14

01 Thelonious Monk - Well, You Needn't 11:30

02 Thelonious Monk - Crepuscule With Nellie 2:39

03 Thelonious Monk - Jackie-ing 10:11

04 Thelonious Monk - Body and Soul 2:47

05 Thelonious Monk - Off Minor 11:41

06 Thelonious Monk - April in Paris 1:18

07 Thelonious Monk - I Mean You 11:02

08 Thelonious Monk - Rhythm-A-Ning 10:37

09 Thelonious Monk - Just A Gigolo 1:45

CD15

01 Thelonious Monk - Hackensack 9:46

02 Thelonious Monk - Epistropy 6:12

03 Thelonious Monk - I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 8:33

04 Thelonious Monk - Jackie-ing 4:53

05 Thelonious Monk - Body and Soul 4:48

06 Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser 9:03

07 Thelonious Monk - Crepescule With Nellie 2:42

08 Thelonious Monk - Bemsha Swing 6:56

09 Thelonious Monk - San Francisco Holiday 5:57

10 Thelonious Monk - Rhythm-a-ning 5:47

11 Thelonious Monk - Epistrophy 5:03

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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