Although
Brilliant Corners is
Thelonious Monk's third disc for Riverside, it's the first on the label to weigh in with such heavy original material. Enthusiasts who become jaded to the idiosyncratic nature of
Monk's playing or his practically arithmetical chord progressions should occasionally revisit
Brilliant Corners. There is an inescapable freshness and vitality saturated into every measure of every song. The passage of time makes it all the more difficult to imagine any other musicians bearing the capacity to support
Monk with such ironic precision. The assembled quartet for the lion's share of the sessions included
Max Roach (percussion),
Sonny Rollins (tenor sax),
Oscar Pettiford (bass), and
Ernie Henry (alto sax). Although a compromise, the selection of
Miles Davis' bassist,
Paul Chambers, and
Clark Terry (trumpet) on "Bemsha Swing" reveals what might be considered an accident of ecstasy, as they provide a timeless balance between support and being able to further the cause musically. Likewise,
Roach's timpani interjections supply an off-balanced sonic surrealism while progressing the rhythm in and out of the holes provided by
Monk's jackrabbit leads. It's easy to write
Monk's ferocity and Forrest Gump-esque ingenuity off as gimmick or quirkiness. What cannot be dismissed is
Monk's ability to translate emotions into the language of music, as in the freedom and abandon he allows through
Sonny Rollins' and
Max Roach's mesmerizing solos in "Brilliant Corners." The childlike innocence evoked by
Monk's incorporation of the celeste during the achingly beautiful ode "Pannonica" raises the emotional bar several degrees. Perhaps more pointed, however, is the impassioned "I Surrender, Dear" -- the only solo performance on the album.
Brilliant Corners may well be considered the alpha and omega of post-World War II American jazz. No serious jazz collection should be without it.