Well, this is it. The one album that encompasses the genius of Monk. From the romantic, "I Didn't Know About You" to the utterly fUNtastic title song, "Straight, No Chaser". His music is truly enchanting.

There is an internet clip of Monk playing "Straight, No Chaser" at a concert. Playing with both hands, that is. At some point, he needs to play the keys to his extreme right. Rather than shift his hands over to his right side to compensate, HE REACHES ACROSS WITH HIS LEFT HAND OVER HIS RIGHT HAND and continues to play without missing a beat! Someone remarked that this is very, very hard to do. I guess it has to do with how the mind works. Try reaching over with your left foot on the gas while driving in rush hour traffic, and you get the point. Remember he is at a concert, where mistakes could be magnified. That is the best analogy I can come with.

Why do I say this? He was so unusual, yet so talented. Monk is pure genius. And you can't teach genius. He, along with Larry Gales, Charlie Rouse and Ben Riley held nothing back on this album. Rouse is often said to be underrated. In this album, you hear why. In the "Japanese Folk Song" and "We See," you hear the sheer power of his sax. If he was no Coltrane or Charlie Parker, then he is right up there.

Even though I had no idea what to expect when I bought it, this is easily my favorite Monk album. And that's saying a lot. I have my fair share of Monk CDs. This might be heresy, but I think I prefer this album to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue." I agree with someone here that the Japanese Folk Song is worth the price of the CD alone. How each of the guys does his solo and hands over to the next guy is breathtaking. If you don't have this album folks, run and get it. I mean it.

bar none, without question, leaving no room for doubt....this is the greatest jazz album of all time! pure magic! no better! buy this for everyone you know! mesmerizing! when it comes to jazz....this disc can't be beat! tightest jazz unit assembled led by the one and only Thelonious!

This is such a great album if you love Monk and, if you don't love him, this might be a classical example of his style for you to try to like him...

The classical Monk quartet is definitively one with the great Charlie Rouse on saxophone; the man is a great voice for Monk's brilliant musical concepts, but the drummer and the bass player are equally well integrated...

One of the things I like best with Monk is his usage of "empty" spaces between his quirky notes; I have by now listened quite a few of his albums, and even those I have listened the most still cause listening pleasure by the magnificent logic of Monk's playing. Whether he is playing solo - with or without accompaniment, or comping behind a soloist, he is the greatest. Actually, one of the things from classical jazz concept that he challenges is the idea of "solo" (and, compatibly, the idea of "accompaniment"); in that sense he is much more radical than the be-bop generation (and most later generations) and yet I can feel keen sense of tradition in his playing (not only when he plays standards).
His duets/duels with the bass or conversations with bass and drums on this album are as pleasurable as any duet recorded by Ellington and Blanton, or any segment where Basie went wild with his greatest rhythm machines (Walter Page on bass, Freddie Green on guitar, Jo Jones on drums).
BTW, as an good opportunity to get this album cheaply (at least at the moment I'm writing this) in a cd box, check out this: Original Album Classics

"Straight, No Chaser" was released on Columbia Records in 1967. What amazes me about Monk besides his brilliant musicianship was the fact that he wasn't the person the media made him out to be. He was in fact a genuine, hard-working artist trying to make ends meet. He was also a family man. Miles Davis, who had a feud with Monk during the 50s and 60s, wrote in his autobiography that Monk was "a sweet guy." Don't let the "image" of a reclusive, drug-addict, and eccentric tunnel dweller scare you away from his music, because he wasn't like that at all.

This recording contains some of Monk's best performances and sidemen: Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass, Ben Riley on drums, and, of course, Monk on piano. This in my opinion was his best group. Each of the musicians had an understanding of Monk's compositions better than any other musicians he's played with before. Charlie Rouse is the perfect foil to Monk. Rouse has a warm sound and is also technically amazing. You have to be gifted to play Monk's compositions. Though many of the melodies to his tunes seem simple, it's what the harmony is doing that confused people. Even John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins had trouble playing his tunes. In fact, Sonny Rollins had such difficulty with "Brilliant Corners" that the producer had to edit together three seperate tracks and Coltrane has said that he gets "lost" when he's playing some of Monk's tunes. I find this really incredible because both Rollins and Coltrane can play over just about any chord changes thrown at them. I guess my question is how did Rouse become such a walking encylopedia of Monk? Was it long practice sessions? Was it Monk explaining everything in detail to Rouse? Could be, but I think what it was is Rouse's empathy for Monk and his compositions. This is what kept Rollins and Coltrane from really understanding the inner-workings of these pieces. Rouse was indeed an amazing Monk sideman. The bass player, Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley also play an crucial role in Monk's music. They are the backbone of this quartet and they provide such a great support system.

"Straight, No Chaser" is a classic bebop jazz album and should appeal to fans of this type of jazz music. Every song is a world within itself and should inspire all who are willing to listen. Highly recommended.