Thelonious Monk ~ Brilliant Corners (1957)

Brilliant Corners is a 1957 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It was his third album for the Riverside label and the first, for this label, to include his own compositions. The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio, and is considered one of his most difficult compositions. In 2003, it was one of fifty recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Because of its historical significance the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

The track "Pannonica" is named for Pannonica de Koenigswarter, a close friend of Monk's.

Track listing

1. "Brilliant Corners" (Thelonious Monk) – 7:42
2. "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" (Monk) – 13:24
3. "Pannonica" (Monk) – 8:50
4. "I Surrender Dear" (Barris-Clifford) – 5:25
5. "Bemsha Swing" (Monk-Best) – 7:42

Personnel

Musicians

* Thelonious Monk — piano; celeste on "Pannonica"
* Ernie Henry — alto saxophone on "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" and "Pannonica"
* Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
* Oscar Pettiford — double bass on "Brilliant Corners", "Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-are" and "Pannonica"
* Max Roach — drums; timpani on "Bemsha Swing"

* Clark Terry — trumpet on "Bemsha Swing"
* Paul Chambers — double bass on "Bemsha Swing"