Thelonious Monk – Monk Live In Paris, 1967, Volume Two

Monk Live in Paris, 1967, Volume Two: Available November 20, 2026 The second volume of Monk Live in Paris, 1967 arrives November 20 on Rhythm-A-Ning Entertainment, completing a two-part release drawn from Thelonious Monk's November 3, 1967 performance at Paris's Salle Pleyel. Prepared from the Monk family archive and authorized by the Thelonious Monk Estate, the series brings a historically significant concert back into the public conversation. Volume One was released April 24, 2026, so now is the moment to stock both volumes together and give collectors the full picture of this landmark night. Monk wasn't a product of a marketing machine. He was a populist force whose genius was validated by the ticket booth, not the boardroom. The Proof: Highlighting recordings like the Paris sessions or the 1958 Five Spot residency emphasizes that his music was a living, breathing, and highly profitable phenomenon. While bebop was often about rapid-fire scales and playing the changes, Monk was an architect of space, dissonance, and rhythmic displacement. His compositions are closer to Modern Classical in their structural integrity than the frantic jamming associated with 52nd Street. He didn't just play fast; he built monuments in sound. Miles Davis: Learned the value of space and silence from Monk. John Coltrane: Found his harmonic sheets of sound after the 1957 apprenticeship with Monk. Bud Powell: Monk's most direct protégé and the architect of modern jazz piano. Just as Duke Ellington is synonymous with Swing, Monk is the source code for everything that came after 1945 and cements his status as the primary ancestor of the modern era. Monk wasn't a loner who was difficult to play with; he was a leader of leaders. When the elite of the jazz world are willing to travel across the ocean to play your charts, it speaks to a level of professional respect that contradicts the old troubled artist narrative. Monk Live in Paris, 1967 is a newly unearthed and fully restored recording of Thelonious Monk's 1967 Paris concert, long considered one of the most elusive performances of his European tours. Captured at the height of Monk's creative powers, this historic performance showcases the pianist and composer with his classic quartet bandmates Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley, joined by an all-star horn section of Clark Terry, Ray Copeland, Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, and Jimmy Cleveland. The recording, sourced from a pristine archival reel discovered in France, has been meticulously restored using state-of-the-art audio preservation techniques. The result is a vivid, intimate document of Monk's artistry during a period when his European performances were reshaping global perceptions of modern jazz. This Paris concert is a revelation, says the project's producer, TS Monk. You hear Monk in absolute command: playful, daring, and deeply connected to the audience. It's a missing piece of jazz history. The release lands in a banner year for Monk's legacy. 2026 marks 70 years since the recording of Brilliant Corners and The Unique Thelonious Monk, 20 years since his posthumous Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, and the centennial of John Coltrane, whose partnership with Monk remains one of the defining collaborations in modern jazz. Monk's 109th birthday on October 10 adds a natural hook for in-store displays, staff picks, and birthday-weekend promotions. The Thelonious Monk Estate is celebrating the release with Sonic Journey, a three-night residency October 8-10 at Tokyo Record Bar in Greenwich Village, New York City, built around the family's personal vinyl collection and curated by Monk's grandchildren, Sierre Monk and Thelonious Monk IV. Vinyl: 180-Gram, Pewter Silver ColorPackaging: Single-pocket jacket with a poly-lined sleeve and insertMastering & Lacquer Cutting: Warren Defever at Third Man MasteringPlating & Pressing: United Record PressingGraphic Designer: Gaku Inadawww. Theloniousmonk. storewww. #facebook. com/theloniousmonk www. #instagram. com/theloniousmonkPerformed at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, November 3, 1967Side AArtist Introduction (2:00)Blue Monk (5:10)Epistrophy Theme (1:20)Side BOska-T (15:10)ArtistsCLARK TERRY trumpet (tracks A2, A3)RAY COPELAND trumpet (tracks A2, A3, B1)PHIL WOODS alto saxophone (tracks A2, B1)JOHNNY GRIFFIN tenor saxophone (tracks A2, A3, B1)CHARLIE ROUSE tenor saxophone (all tracks)JIMMY CLEVELAND trombone (tracks A2, A3, B1)THELONIOUS MONK piano (all tracks)LARRY GALES bass (all tracks)BEN RILEY drums (all tracks)

1. Artist Introduction (2:00)
2. Blue Monk (5:10)
3. Epistrophy Theme (1:20)
4. Oska-T (15:10)

Label: Rhythm-A-Ning Ent.

Catalog: 2

Genre: Jazz