It happens very rarely that you can praise a records without any reservations, this is the case here!!! A lot of ink has flowed across the page since the Vogue/Swing release (1955) of that founding solo record. The repertoire was made up of pieces that Thelonious was playing in New York over that period, but in trio or with a quartet, here his music shows nakedness, i should say crudeness, whisch is completely overwhelming. It is a balck and white photograph of what is happening inside Monk's head; its sharpness is enthralling, as everyone has known for more than sixty years. We enter the world of one of the most original artists. Monk, at 37, is at the peak of his art.