The Thelonious Monk Quintet – 5 By Monk By 5
Piano - Thelonious Monk [click here to see more products featuring Thelonious Monk]
Cornet – Thad Jones [click here to see more products featuring Thad Jones]
Drums – Art Taylor [Click here to see more products featuring Art Taylor]
Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Rouse [click here to see more products featuring Charlie Rouse]
Bass – Sam Jones
Written by Thelonious Monk (all tracks), Coleman Hawkins (B1)
1LP, standard sleeve by Stoughton Printing
Original analog Master tape : YES
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Analogue Productions
Original Label : Riverside Records
Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios on June 1, 2 & 4, 1959
Engineered by Jack Higgins
Produced by Orrin Keepnews
Mastered by Kevin Gray at AcousTech Mastering
Liner Notes by Orrin Keepnews
Cover design by Harris Lewine, Ken Braren, Paul Bacon
Originally released in 1959
Reissued in May 2024
Tracks:
Side A:
- Jackie-ing
- Straight, No Chaser
- Played Twice
Side B:
- I Mean You
- Ask Me Now
Reviews :
“As the '50s drew to a close, so did Thelonious Monk's illustrious tenure on Riverside Records. In fact, the three dates needed for this title would be his penultimate for the label. The concept of the album consists of five Monk originals performed in a quintet setting. Ironically, this was the first time that Monk had recorded with a lineup that so prominently featured the "standard" bop rhythm section incorporating both a trumpet (or, in this case, cornet) and sax player. The quintet featured on 5 by Monk by 5 includes Monk (piano), Thad Jones (cornet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Sam Jones (bass), and Art Taylor (drums). Rouse would become Monk's permanent tenor saxophonist for the majority of the 1960s. In what had become somewhat of a tradition, the disc's program consists of several of Monk's more established works as well as a few new compositions. One of the new works, "Jackie-ing" (incidentally, named after one of Monk's nieces), leads off the disc. It exemplifies the loose, disjointed, and exceedingly difficult arrangements that would define Monk as a premier composer/arranger/bandleader. This is in contrast to Monk the keyboard player and band member, which he skilfully demonstrates throughout the track as well as the rest of the album. The song's opening jam features a tasty tug of war between Rouse's animated lead and Monk's interjections and piano antics. Jones' cornet is incorporated tastefully throughout Monk's tricky arrangements. The stark contrast in performance timbre between the comparatively subdued Rouse or Monk and the frenetic bleating of Jones is notably disconcerting.” AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4 / 5 ; Discogs : 4.82 / 5