When the great bandleader and jazz composer made this lovely, lightweight solo piano album in late 1964 and early 1965, he unexpectedly turned to standards more than to his own twisty, harmonically dense compositions (alth... more »ough there are a couple of those here, too, notably "Ruby, My Dear" and "Ask Me Now"). And not the usual jazz standards, either--more lounge-singer and Tin Pan Alley standards, like "These Foolish Things" and Bing Crosby's "I SurrENDer, Dear." In an unusually cheerful, relaxed mood, Monk plays with the sharp, tinkly attack, octave trills, and rock-solid left-hand rhythms of the New Orleans stride piano players he grew up listening to, but he takes advantage of the absence of a band to mess with tempo, too. --Douglas Wolk« less
When the great bandleader and jazz composer made this lovely, lightweight solo piano album in late 1964 and early 1965, he unexpectedly turned to standards more than to his own twisty, harmonically dense compositions (although there are a couple of those here, too, notably "Ruby, My Dear" and "Ask Me Now"). And not the usual jazz standards, either--more lounge-singer and Tin Pan Alley standards, like "These Foolish Things" and Bing Crosby's "I SurrENDer, Dear." In an unusually cheerful, relaxed mood, Monk plays with the sharp, tinkly attack, octave trills, and rock-solid left-hand rhythms of the New Orleans stride piano players he grew up listening to, but he takes advantage of the absence of a band to mess with tempo, too. --Douglas Wolk
"Some critics say Theronious Monk is a pianist who does not have a professional technique... But I disagree. The simplicity of Monk's expression in his solo performance comes from his 'purity' but not from the 'immaturity'. You must not be confused. There is no modern jazz pianist who is not influenced from Monk. Monk is also one of the greatest composer. When Monk becomes alone, he becomes 'real Monk'. This CD is a great example of 'real Monk'."
Wow
06/26/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this is my favorite monk album. most of the songs come in under 3 minutes, all gems. they will cut you straight to the heart. when people call this album 'light' i think immediately of "i should care": it always moves me, the silences are so expressive, and i don't know what it means to call it light except in the sense that that the *silences* are so expressive. "north of the sunset" and "monk's point" are the sort of good natured, funny, oddly-shaped tunes unique to monk. the rest are lovely too. there are lots of other solo monk albums - i like "alone in san francisco" alot - but like i said this album is my favorite and i recommend it."
Something to Listen To
George H. Soule | Edwardsville, Illinois United States | 06/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There's a certain purity to solo Monk that demands careful listening. The absolute command of the displaced mischord, the rhythmic virtuosity of the playing and interpretations or improvisations (if you will) of these standards (mostly) is joyous. You do know that you are in the hearing of a master when you listen to Monk. Listen to a Monk composition like "Ruby, My Dear" and you hear the perfect linearity of Monk's compositions, and then follow it with "I'm Confessing (That I Love You)" and you hear the commanding voice as he turns the song inside out. In this collection Monk moves from "standards" to originals within his own voice--perhaps the unique voice in modern music. Quirky but correct. Monk is simple in some respects, but he's never superficial. It's the surprise that captivates here. Monk's not a technical virtuoso. He is, however, a consumate master musician. This disc is a fine selection of Monk during the 1964-65 phase of his Columbia experience. But the other solo discs on Riverside are equally rewarding finds. Don't miss any of them."
Pure Monk
S. Finefrock | Raleigh, NC | 12/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Though there are several Monk releases that I would rank over Solo Monk, I find this as a greatly satisfying effort. Monk's unique talents shine in this unaccompanied setting. If you ever find yourself smiling at Monk in a group setting, you owe it to yourself to investigate this one."