Underground

Description

Thelonious Monk once said, and it remains famous: "The piano ain't got no wrong notes," a principle that clearly shines through in his playing: complex and daring harmonies, combined with a percussive and incisive technique. Despite his unconventional style, he also mastered scales and arpeggios with remarkable speed and precision. Ultimately, Monk had a lasting influence on jazz piano. Underground is his seventh studio album for Columbia, with Larry Gales on bass, Ben Riley on drums, and Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone. A prolific composer, he wrote original compositions for this album, with the exception of one track, each with its own story. Beyond the music, the cover deserves special mention. It depicts Monk as a French resistance fighter and pays homage to Pannonica "Nica" de Koenigswarter. A member of the aristocratic Rothschild family, she became a patron of great jazz musicians, organizing jam sessions, driving them to their concerts, and sometimes even helping pay their rent. In 1969, the cover won a Grammy Award for Best Album Package.