Thelonious Monk - Monk Plays Duke Ellington (+2 Bonus Tracks)

LIMITED EDITION 6-PANEL DIGIPACK +INSIDE BOOKLET INCLUDES COMPREHENSIVE 6-PAGE BOOKLET WITH UP-TO-DATE LINER NOTESCOLLECTOR'S DIGIPACK SERIESThelonious Monk's first album for the Riverside label was Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington (Riverside RLP 12-201), a trio set on which the pianist interpreted songs by the one-and-only Duke. While the results were amazing and Monk imprinted a personal touch on all of these well-known songs, it was a kind of imposed project, for Riverside producers were afraid of the commercial success of letting Monk record his own music. Monk would return to Ellington's compositions many years later in Berlin, when he participated on an album featuring various artists, made in honour of Duke's 70th birthday. Monk's solo piano set was fortunately recorded and is presented here for the first time ever along with the trio studio sides. The live set, which contains Monk's only existing version of Satin Doll, is closed by a two-piano blues feature dedicated to Ellington on which Monk is joined Joe Turner. Billy Strayhorn's arrangement of Monk's Dream and his homage to Thelonious, titled Fr�re Monk, both performed by Ellington's orchestra, have been added as a bonus. 1-8: The Trio Studio Album: THELONIOUS MONK PLAYS DUKE ELLINGTON THELONIOUS MONK, piano OSCAR PETTIFORD, bass KENNY CLARKE, drums Hackensack, New Jersey, July 21 & 27, 1955. Original sessions produced by Orrin Keepnews. 9-14: The Live Solo Set [For the first time on CD!!!!] THELONIOUS MONK, unaccompanied piano Joe Turner (p), Han Rettenbacher (b) & Stu Martin (d), added on 6 only. Berlin Philarmonie, Berlin, Germany, November 6, 1969. *Bonus Tracks (15-16): DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA. New York, September 13, 1962.