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Critic's Review
Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
This is a French import version of the third studio long-player that Thelonious Monk (piano) cut during his tenure with Columbia Records in the 1960s. Along with the formidable backing trio of Butch Warren (bass), Ben Riley (drums), and longtime cohort Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Monk continues to exemplify his unique free-form delivery and advanced sense of timing and arranging. The six sides featured on It's Monk Time (1964) are the product of four separate sessions held in early 1964, and provide a snapshot of the quartet, as well as of Monk the soloist. The title's release came during a period of renewed and international public interest. No doubt thanks in part to the pianists' incessant worldwide touring, as well as Barry Farrell's lengthy Time Magazine cover story in late February of 1964 -- which hit newsstands during the burgeoning onslaught of Beatlemania, no less. This may be why there is such a jovial lilt to the playful, unaccompanied opening to "Lulu's Back In Town," or the solo performance on "Nice Work if You Can Get It" -- which is one of two piano solos featured on the LP. An inspired reading of Eubie Blake's "Memories of You" being the second of the intimate keyboard-only portraits. They both display Monk's distinct homage to influences, ranging from stride players Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson, to the slightly obscure and decidedly hyper delivery style of Cliff Jackson, or the rag leanings of Walter L. Rose. The combo reveals much of the skin-tight synchronicity that this band was known for in their public appearances. Nowhere is this as evident than on the tricky timing of "Stuffy Turkey," and the more aggressive bop on "Brake's Sake." The latter title also unleashes some tasty interaction between Monk and Rouse, sonically exemplifying their practically single-minded synergy. The concluding cut, "Shuffle Boil," is one of the lost gems of the artists' later work. It sports an effortless swing over the sophisticated and challenging melodic structure. Bassist Warren steps up to the plate, providing a supple and pulsating bed for both Monk and Rouse as they trade licks as well as solos.
