’Round Midnight: The Complete Blue Note Singles (1947-1952)

Artists

Album Info

Release Date: 2014-11-04

Label: Blue Note

The fourth release in the "Blue Note Select" series, initiated as part of the label's 75th anniversary in 2014. Hardback booklet (143mm × 124mm × 9mm, 32 pp.)
This collection presents for the first time Monk’s Blue Note recordings in their original 78 rpm sequence of release, adding as bonus tracks the alternate takes that appeared on later LP and CD releases.

Track Notes:
1-3 also issued as "Round Midnight" on seven-inch single Blue Note 45-1664; see track 1-7.
1-7 also issued on seven-inch single Blue Note 45-1664; see track 1-3.
1-12 issued as "Mysterioso" on the single and on the 10-inch LP release, but this ("Misterioso") reflects Monk's preferred spelling.
1-13 & 1-14 credited to Kenny 'Pancho' Hagood with The Thelonious Monk Quartet.
1-15 (B-side was "Symphonette" by Tadd Dameron, w/o Monk)
1-25 "Willow Weep For Me" was credited on this single release to Art Blakey. The performance was also issued as the B-side of seven-inch Blue Note 45-1646, credited to Milt Jackson; the A-side was Jackson's "Lillie" (w/o Monk).

Recording and Personnel Info:
([nb: This information, appearing on pages 22 and 23 of the booklet, contains inaccuracies and omissions. Correct data is supplied here.)

• Disc 1: tracks 1, 2, 5, 11; Disc 2: tracks 5, 6: Recorded 15 October 1947, at WOR Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Sextet: Idrees Suleyman (trumpet); Danny Quebec West (alto saxophone); Billy Smith (tenor saxophone); Thelonious Monk (piano); Gene Ramey (bass); Art Blakey (drums)
• Disc 1: tracks 4, 6, 9, 18, 19; Disc 2: tracks 7–11: Recorded 24 October 1947, at WOR Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Trio: Thelonious Monk (piano); Gene Ramey (bass); Art Blakey (drums)
• Disc 1: tracks 3, 7, 16, 17; Disc 2: track 12: Recorded 21 November 1947, at WOR Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Quintet: George Taitt (trumpet); Sahib Shihab (alto saxophone); Thelonious Monk (piano); Robert Paige (bass); Art Blakey (drums)
• Disc 1: tracks 8, 10, 12–15; Disc 2: tracks 13, 14: Recorded 2 July 1948, at Apex Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Quartet: Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Thelonious Monk (piano); John Simmons (bass); Shadow Wilson (drums); with Kenny 'Pancho' Hagood (vocals, Disc 1: 13 & 14, Disc 2: 13 only)
• Disc 1: tracks 20–25; Disc 2: tracks 15–17: Recorded 23 July 1951, at WOR Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Quintet: Sahib Shihab (trumpet); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Thelonious Monk (piano); Al McKibbon (bass); Art Blakey (drums)
• Disc 2: tracks 1–4, 18–22: Recorded 30 May 1952, at WOR Studios, New York City, NY.
The Thelonious Monk Sextet: Kenny Dorham (trumpet); Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone); Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone); Thelonious Monk (piano); Nelson Boyd (bass); Max Roach (drums)

Additional release notes:
The information below chronicles the first release of the recordings outside of the original 78-rpm singles or the first time they were released at all.

With the invention of the microgroove LP, Blue Note compiled several of Monk's original singles onto a 10-inch album, Genius Of Modern Music, Blue Note LP 5002, in 1951. To recreate the sequencing of the original LP, program your player as follows: Side A—Disc 1, tracks 3-6--9-15 / Side B—Disc 1, tracks 1-8-4-12.

Blue Note also issued the 10-inch album, Genius Of Modern Music Vol. 2, Blue Note LP 5009, in 1952. Its original sequence is as follows: Side A—Disc 1, tracks 20-17-18-7 / Side B—Disc 1, tracks 11-21-2-24. Both original 10-inch covers appear on the previous spread.

As the LP format grew to 12-inch size, Blue Note released Genius Of Modern Music Volume One, BLP-1510, and Genius Of Modern Music Volume 2, BLP-1511, in 1956; both covers are seen on the facing page. To recreate the sequencing of the original 12-inch Volume One, program your player as follows: Side A–Disc 1, tracks 3-6-9-15-19-7 / Side B—Disc 1, tracks 1-8-12-4-Disc 2, track 11-Disc 1, track 11. To recreate the sequencing of the original 12-inch Volume Two, program your player as follows: Side A—Disc 2, tracks 4-3-1-2, Disc 1, tracks 21-20-18-16-17-24. Note that for the latter release the label did not simply add four tracks to the 10-inch LP, they added six cuts and deleted "In Walked Bud" and "Humph" (Disc 1, tracks 7 and 11).

Blue Note also issued the tracks "Criss-Cross," "Eronel" and "Willow Weep For Me" (Disc 1, tracks 22-23-25) on the 10-inch album Milt Jackson, Wizard Of The Vibes, Blue Note LP 5011, in 1952. For a subsequent 12-inch LP release in 1956, Blue Note BLP-1509, the label renamed Jackson's album Milt Jackson and the Thelonious Monk Quintet, and included, in addition to one track without Monk ("LIllie"), the recordings "Evidence," "Misterioso (alternate take)" and "Four In One (alternate take)" (Disc 1, track 10, and Disc 2, tracks 14 and 15).

Blue Note, with producer Michael Cuscuna at the helm, issued in 1976 a 2-LP set, The Complete Genius, BN-LA 579-H2, which included for the first time on LP "I Should Care" (Disc 1, track 14).

in 1983 Cuscuna licensed Monk's sessions for a limited edition, 4-LP box set, The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Thelonious Monk, Mosaic Records MR4-101, which included all tracks noted above while adding for the first time the music heard on Disc 2, tracks 5–10, 12, 13, 16–22.

Photographs reproduced in the booklet:
p.1 – Thelonious Monk at WOR Studios, May 30th, 1952.
p.7 – Between jam sessions at Minton's, from left, Thelonious Monk, Howard McGhee, Roy Eldridge and Teddy Hill, September 1947.
p.18 – Art Blakey, at left, and Milt Jackson at WOR Studios, July 23, 1951.
p.23 – Al McKibbon at WOR Studios, July 23, 1951
p.23 – Lucky Thompson, with Lou Donaldson at right, during Monk's May 1952 session
p.30 – Monk at Minton's, September 1947
p.32 – Thelonious Monk and Kenny Dorham on stage, early 1950s

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