[ Note: when I first wrote this, I thought all of the Monk/Prestige Boxes were like mine. Turns out this deluxe box is more rare than I thought - most of them are in more standard cardboard sleeves. - E.S. ]
Reviewing a set like this is a different sort of task. It isn't like helping readers determine which Vaughan Williams or Beethoven symphonies are worth having in their collection. As far as I'm concerned, it's a basic truth that if Monk recorded it, it's worth having. You don't need me for that. I mean, imagine having access to studio recordings of Erik Satie's works performed, with great sound, by the composer himself? That's closer to the parallel. Monk is so great, and so important, he doesn't need my endorsement. So the questions become about the merits of this reissue, not the musical quality of the contents, which are unquestioned.
This box collects everything Thelonious Monk recorded on the Prestige label, including the four lead tunes on disc one, which date from 1944, documenting Monk as a sideman for Coleman Hawkins. After them, the discs cover material issued on five 10-inch LPs with Monk as leader, and a couple with Miles Davis leading the sessions. They are as follows:
Thelonious Monk Trio: Thelonious (Prestige PrLP 142)
Thelonious Monk Quintet Blows for LP/featuring Sonny Rollins (Prestige PrLP 166)
Thelonious Monk Quintet (with Frank Foster and Art Blakey) (Prestige PrLP 180)
Thelonious Monk Plays (with Percy Heath and Art Blakey) (Prestige PrLP 189)
Sonny Rollins and Thelonious Monk (Prestige PrLP 190)
Miles Davis: Bags Groove (Prestige, 1954)
Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Prestige, 1954)
As mentioned in Peter Keepnews' detailed and informative notes, it's unfortunate Monk had to play a slightly out of tune piano for some of his earlier dates here and, okay, Sonny Rollins has a pretty chirpy reed for some of his work on 'Think of One', but you know what? Who cares. You need these recordings. The real question is whether this particular set is worth it.
My answer is a resounding yes. First issued in 2000, the sound was mastered in analog 20-bit K2 Super Coding. Now I don't know what much of that means, but my ears tell me it's incredible - retaining all the depth and clarity you'd want from vintage recordings like these.
The box is made of sturdy, heavy cardboard. Mine pictured here is a decade old, and still looks new. I wish I could say the same for every box on my shelf. There's no clasp, nor any box top slid over the bottom - instead, it locks shut by an imbedded magnet (see photo below).
The chamber holding three stylishly decorated jewel boxes is supplemented with a ribbon, for ease of extraction. This set was beautifully designed.
Besides the benefit of having physical hard copies of this important music (including the first recordings of 'Blue Monk', 'Think of One', and several other Monk compositions), this set features a booklet loaded with technical information, recording dates, artwork, photos, and a detailed history of Monk's Prestige years by the aforementioned Peter Keepnews. It's more of a mini-documentary than mere liner notes. This is ultimately why I try to collect as many retrospectives as possible - downloads and streams are almost universally without the history or context. This Prestige box is exceptional in terms of sound, sturdiness, presentation, and historical content.
I'm not sure if the box is still in print, but the way things are going, we might all be forced to streaming soon. If you don't have one, get a copy soon.
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