Thelonious Monk Quartet - Monk's Dream [180G/ Remastered] (Impex Records All-Analog Audiophile Pressing]

All-Analog 180g Vinyl LP Reissue of Thelonious Monk Quartet's Monk's Dream by Impex: Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Kevin Gray and Pressed at RTI

Recorded at the tail end of 1962 and originally issued in 1963, Monk's Dream served as Thelonious Monk's debut for Columbia Records after releases for Blue Note, Prestige and Riverside. Working with producer Teo Macero and featured in a quartet setting with Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone), John Ore (bass), and Frankie Dunlop, (drums), Monk's Dream was the best selling LP of Monk's lifetime, ultimately contributing to his appearance on the cover of Time magazine in 1964.

The eight-song set features five Monk originals including the rhythmically complex "Five Spot Blues" and "Bolivar Blues," as well as a pair of solo sides sans accompaniment in "Just A Gigolo" and "Body and Soul." Although a majority of the tracks had been previously recorded in various live settings with different titles, this quartet is regarded by many as one of the best groups Monk was ever associated with and it is their studio interpretations of the material that remain the definitive versions and add up to one of Monk's signature albums!

Mastered from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI, Impex Records' all-analog 180g vinyl LP reissue allows full immersion in Monk & Co.'s telepathy. Tight, controlled bass lays low under supple mids and crisp highs.

"Here the transparency, immediacy and transient clarity surpass that of the original and without losing any of the original's more attractive qualities. The reissue is surely lower in distortion on the dynamic peaks and the blacker backgrounds heighten the instrumental relief..."
- Michael Fremer, Analog Planet

"The sound here, as compared to original mono and stereo pressings, is more dynamically nimble and present, as well as tonally somewhat cooler. But if the early LPs sound warmer, they also have a hooded coloration that floats over the sound, making them sound more homogenized, and not as lively as this fine Impex reissue."
- Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound 

"The sound of this new issue is to die for and then some. Impex releases only a handful of LPs each year, but its track record for taste and great sound is unrivaled. Perfect in every way!"
- Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+ 

Musicians:
Thelonious Monk, piano
Charlie Rouse, tenor saxophone
John Ore, bass
Frankie Dunlop, drums

1. Monk's Dream
2. Body And Soul
3. Bright Mississippi
4. Five Spot Blues
5. Bolivar Blues
6. Just A Gigolo
7. Bye-Ya
8. Sweet And Lovely