勇往直前 Straight No Chaser

First-time ever, 180-gram gatefold double LP Numbered, limited edition reissue By 1967, Thelonious Monk was being criticized by the jazz press for getting a bit stale, using the same personnel and performing the same songs as he had for the past few years. In reality, Monk was still able to bring vitality to his performances despite some predictability. This album includes some warhorses (Straight, No Chaser, I Didn't Know About You, and a solo piano version of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea) along with Japanese Folk Song and the pianist's lesser-played originals Locomotive and We See. Monk and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse (who are ably supported by bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley) take consistently fine solos throughout this Columbia set. The session recordings for Monk's 1967 classic ran longer than a single LP could hold. Rather than put out a more costly 2-LP set, Columbia edited down the tracks chosen for the record to fit a 1-LP format — a common practice at the time. Now, for the first time ever, on 180-gram vinyl, Impex Records brings you the complete, extended takes of these breathtaking tunes, plus a great interpretation of "Green Chimneys," keeping fully intact and deepening the listener's appreciation of Monk's singular musical vision and the near-instinctive communcation between Monk and his sidemen.