Thelonious Monk 5 by Monk by 5

Thelonious Monk's 5 by Monk by 5 on 180g LP from Analogue Productions: Mastered AAA by Kevin Gray from the Original Analog Master Tapes and Pressed at QRP

5 by Monk by 5 was deliberately conceived and executed as a quintet album. The "five" are made up of what was, at the time of the 1959 sessions, Monk's regular working quartet plus Thad Jones. That is to say, a well-integrated unit with a striking added voice absorbed into it. The album consists of two new Monk compositions and reworkings of three earlier numbers.

This is a classic album with a lively quintet that includes Monk, piano; Thad Jones, cornet; Sam Jones, bass; Art Taylor, drums and the amazing Charlie Rouse, tenor sax — here just beginning a very fruitful association with Monk — and really adding a lot to the session with some incredible tenor work that's as angular and modern as needed for Monk's work, yet with a soulful edge that really brings a lot to the music. The album's got five long tracks — hence the title — and they're all Monk classics that include "I Mean You," "Ask Me Now," "Jackie-ing," and "Straight, No Chaser."