Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Himself (1984 Japanese Riverside Mono LP)

Vinyl: NM
Sleeve: NM
Obi: None

Our grading system explained here.
Photo is of the actual item.

Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Himself Vinyl LP - 1984 Japanese Riverside Jazz Golden 50 Series Mono Reissue

Thelonious Monk's solo piano album from April 1957 showcases his idiosyncratic approach stripped to essentials, no rhythm section to cushion his angular melodic choices, unexpected harmonic substitutions, and rhythmic displacement. Recorded in New York over two sessions (12 and 16 April) and produced by Orrin Keepnews, the eight tracks include Monk's definitive solo interpretation of his most famous composition "'Round Midnight" alongside standards transformed through his unique vision. Released in Japan in 1984 as part of Riverside's Jazz Golden 50 series and manufactured by Victor Musical Industries, this mono pressing captures Monk's piano in intimate detail, every percussive attack and unexpected pause revealing his compositional thinking.

The standards receive Monk's characteristic treatment: familiar melodies emerge through unexpected note choices, his sense of time stretching and compressing phrases in ways that sound wrong until they suddenly sound completely right. "April In Paris" and "Ghost Of A Chance" demonstrate how Monk could make beautiful songs sound simultaneously tender and angular, his chord voicings including dissonances that conventional pianists would avoid. His originals "Functional" and "Monk's Mood" showcase his compositional voice fully, the latter a blues that abandons conventional blues clichés for something more mysterious and personal.

The solo format reveals Monk's approach to piano as percussion instrument, his touch ranging from delicate to hammer-like, creating rhythmic patterns that feel both swinging and deliberately off-balance. His use of space is as important as the notes played, silences creating tension that makes subsequent phrases more impactful.