Thelonious Monk's Top 10 Track (part 1)

Who else can I start with but Thelonios Monk!

1. Bye-ya (Monk's Dream - Columbia)
Do you remember early quartet rendition of "Bye-ya"? No I don't. And yes, I meant Coltrane and Griffin were not making it. Well, you can say Rouse's line is stiff but those angular notes never sounds so... angular before! And this is true Monkish!


2. Round Midnight (The Complete Blue Note Recordings - Blue Note)
Dare you not select which "Round Midnight" version from any artist but Monk. Why not of his many solos of "Round About Midnight" or "Around Midnight"? I'm not going there, you go.


3. Epistrophy (Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall - Blue Note)
I should've said that I like "Bye-ya" from "Monk's Dream" because of Frankie's solo, and I'm gonna do it again... Coltrane was adapting to his new musical universe when he was recording this. It is Shadow Wilson that made this great composition stand out like no other before... and after.


4. Coming On The Hudson (Thelonius In Action - Riverside)
Oh yes, are you gonna say that I am picking an odd ball just to make this a distinctive list? Monk is hard bopper, I believe from the bottom of my heart even though most would ague that he cannot be categorized. I don't ague with people that regards another person demi-god. Johnny Griffin is nothing if not hard bop. So where am I going? Anyway, this is an emotional hard bop tune.


5. Pannonica (Brilliant Corners - Riverside)
I can hardly remember any other "Pannonica" (except in "Thelonious Alone in San Francisco"). However... there is however, I can throw you at least 10 versions of "Crepuscule With Nellie" even though "Crepuscule" isn't as strong a piece as "Pannonica". Am I suggesting something fishy?