Thelonious Monk

Genius of Modern Music gathers early recordings that reveal just how far ahead Thelonious Monk was thinking, with different sessions featuring combinations of Idrees Sulieman, Milt Jackson, Gene Ramey, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, and others. The tunes – “’Round Midnight,” “Epistrophy,” “Ruby, My Dear” and more – present themselves as puzzles: jagged melodies, off‑kilter accents, harmonies that jab when one expects glide. Monk’s pianism, all percussive attack and unexpected voicings, is anchored by rhythm sections learning to navigate his new logic. The collection fully earns its title; it documents a mind reshaping jazz materials from the ground up, with a cast of players gradually realising what they’ve stumbled into.