Thelonious Monk – Brilliant Corners

Brilliant Corners is Thelonious Monk's third album for Riverside, and the first on the label to lean this heavily into his own original material.

If you've ever found yourself a little too used to the idiosyncratic brilliance of Monk's playing, or the near-arithmetical logic of his chord progressions, Brilliant Corners is the one to come back to.

There’s a real freshness and vitality running through every measure here. And with the benefit of time, it feels even more remarkable to hear a group of musicians able to meet Monk on his own terms, supporting him with such sharp, ironic precision.