Thelonious Himself

Across his first three Riverside recordings, Thelonious Monk included a solo piano performance—often a highlight of each album. For Thelonious Himself, his fourth for the label, he turned to solo interpretations almost exclusively. Rather than stretching familiar tunes into elaborate variations, Monk pares “April in Paris,” “I Should Care” and “Almost Alone” back to their essential themes. The exception is “Monk’s Mood,” where bassist Wilbur Ware and tenor saxophonist John Coltrane join him, bringing fresh depth to Monk’s distinctive approach to both solo and ensemble playing.