Thelonious Monk Quartet Plus Two - At the Blackhawk - Analogue Productions LP

Despite various reissue formats over several decades, the seven original LPs contained in Thelonious Monk - The Riverside Tenor Sessions stood perfectly well on their own at the time of initial release and remain among the highest achievements of a truly golden age. Recorded and released between 1956 and 1961, these seven Monk combo albums were critical in Monk's emergence from a decade of ridicule and neglect to his status at the pinnacle of the jazz pantheon.

The sextet sessions from which Quartet Plus Two At the Blackhawk sprung started out as a collaboration. The occasion was Monk's second visit to San Francisco. He took his current quartet — Monk on piano; Charlie House, tenor sax; John Ore, bass; and Billy Higgins, drums, plus he added two of the most impressive horn men available on the West Coast — trumpeter Joe Gordon, and tenor sax player Harold Land. This vibrant live performance took place at the famed San Francisco jazz club in 1960.

While the entire album showcases the group's remarkable chemistry and improvisational prowess, several standout tracks exemplify the quintet's dynamic energy and innovative approach to jazz. "Epistrophy," the iconic Monk composition, is given new life in a live setting, with its infectious rhythms and memorable melody captivating the audience from the first note.

The album displays brilliantly and evocatively several different facets of Monk — his artistry, and his magic. The addition of Land's horn makes for a very soulful set.

In addition to some of his best recorded piano performances and more than two dozen of his profoundly personal compositions, the albums in this reissue series provide an overview of the era's major tenor saxophonists, with contributions by Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Rouse and Harold Land. Max Roach, Art Blakely, Roy Haynes and Thad Jones are among the other jazz immortals featured on the essential Brilliant Corners, Monk's Music: Thelonious Monk Septet, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, Thelonious in Action, Misterioso, 5 by Monk by 5 and Quartet Plus Two at the Blackhawk.