Over the past weeks, I have gained a great appreciation of the American cultural masterpiece known as Jazz.  My dad’s collection is diverse but has a heavier tilt towards Jazz.  With that in mind, I am not surprised when I pull from the shelf an album cover that shows a side view head shot of Thelonious Monk. A black pork pie hat tops his head – Monk’s Dream in black font graces the left side of the album cover. As a young’un and unbeknownst to me my dad would play Monk with constant frequency.  This became apparent when I became older and heard some of Monk’s composition. However, until now I had never listened to a Monk album in its entirety. With a slight feel of anxiety, I place the record on the turntable platter. I take a look at the album back cover and see that Monk is supported by Charles Rouse on tenor sax, John Ore on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums.   

And with that, Monk’s Dream opens with Monk’s distinctive rhythmic piano playing style. A style with a percussive rhythm that is usually provided by a drum downbeat or bass slap. Monk perfectly swings with the bass and drums for the opening 48 seconds and in a blink of an eye the saxophone enters as the piano cordially fades to the back. Not to be outdone, Rouse replicates Monk’s opening and gradually builds to gliding alongside the polyrhythmic melody that Monk produces on the piano. Before long, the piano falls back and the sax takes center stage breezing along with Ore’s bass strums and serenading Dunlop’s drum work. As the composition progresses, Monk returns with chords that seem off but at the same time on point – like the chords are played in reverse. Pretty impressive!

Body and Soul showcases Monk’s adventurous piano playing technique. For some reason, Jackie Chan’s fight scene in the movie Drunken Master comes to mind, which Chan’s drunken fighting style is unorthodox but highly effective – like Monk’s playing style is unorthodox compared to pianist that came before him. However, what may seem off center allows the piano to be sonically push past its construed limit. Monk displays an ability to play multiple chords simultaneously with two hands that any other pianist would need overdubs to accomplish. Throughout the song, I hear Monk in the zone singing and humming along enjoying the masterpiece of his own creation.

On Five Spot Blues, Monk enters with a snazzy chord that would be at home in a saloon in the 19^th century. Shortly from the jump, Dunlop enters with a few strokes on the snare and delightful bumps on the kick drum. Like a car weaving in and out of traffic, Dunlop fills Monk’s perfectly timed pauses with snares here…kicks there – you can feel their stellar chemistry. Chemistry that includes Rouse whose remarkable work on the sax follows along Monk’s notes that seem like marching orders of step…step…step…by…step. Not to be forgotten, Ore holds his own…keeping the vibe swinging. The composition’s beauty is Monk willingness to let each artist show their remarkable talent.

In my humble opinion, one of the best solo drum opening comes through on Bye-Ya. Dunlop’s drum rhythm sets the playful tone that flows through the song’s melody. Monk and Rouse exhibit a great bond of playing off each other – something akin to two brothers trying to outdo each other in a brotherly rivalry. Or maybe like a little brother who is now able to replicate their older brother’s abilities. Rouse displays an impeccable grasp of following the complex chord progressions Monk plays on the piano.

Sweet and Lovely is the album’s final song. Monk hammers away an interesting chord to start Sweet and Lovely. As he plays, you can hear Monk tapping his foot that counts out the composition’s multifaceted rhythm. Monk fully demonstrates his unpredictable style with unexpected tonal and melodic changes that delightfully pop up without warning. Despite the unpredictability, Dunlop drumming does not miss a beat. Sweet and Lovely runtime is 7 minutes and 52 seconds but provides a grab bag of various intriguing melodies to keep a listener’s full attention – there is nothing boring about this composition. Rouse gleefully joins in the fun at the 3:08 mark with savvy improvisation that adds an enjoyable vibe. At the 6:10 mark the quartet’s mastery is at a stratospheric level – a final hurrah of abundant chemistry between Monk, Dunlop, Ore, and Rouse wonderfully protrudes out the speakers. And so it ends…a dream that will live on…Monk’s Dream…

After further review…

Monk’s Dream was released by Columbia Records in March 1963. Monk’s Dream is considered one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded. The late Teo Macero liner notes perfectly summarize the beauty of the album with the following, “His playing, like his compositions, is like no one else’s in the world. He paints gigantic, colorful pictures with sometimes very few notes, then again with many. His improvised melodic lines remind one of Picasso’s paintings: flowing movement, rich textures, striking contrasts.”

Thelonious Monk was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on October 10, 1917. He passed away on February 17, 1982. His achievements include a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His album Brilliant Corners was inducted into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2003.