CLASSIC QUARTET/VINYLE 180GR

Description

At the time of this recording, Thelonious Monk was at both a creative and critical peak. He had recently signed with Columbia Records, one of the biggest jazz labels in the world at the time, and the following year became the third jazz musician in history to appear on the cover of Time Magazine. The Classic Quartet consists of Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Butch Warren on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. The recording captures what is undoubtedly one of the best ensembles of the era. The songs, classic Monk repertoire, will be familiar to any Monk fan. This includes what is generally regarded as an exceptional version of one of Monk's favorite standards, "Just A Gigolo." This recording is the audio portion of a television show recorded in Tokyo during Monk's tour of Japan in 1963. It should not be confused with the live album from the same 1963 tour, Monk In Tokyo, released on Columbia Records. It is also worth noting that the recordings here have previously been released under the name Thelonious Monk 1963 Japan, at different times, by various labels. This version has been remastered by award-winning engineer Bernie Grundman. This is the first time this album has been released on vinyl in over 35 years.