Hear a rare Thelonious Monk live recording from 1963

The 5-song Thelonious Monk performance dating from 1963 is due September 28. Listen to "Nutty" below. 

Gearbox Records announces release of Mønk

Hot on the heels of Impulse’s recently unearthed Coltrane number one hit album comes another beauty from Jazz’s ‘Holy Trinity’. This is a previously unreleased, precious lost treasure from Thelonious Monk’s acclaimed line-up featuring Charlie Rouse on saxophone, John Ore on double bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums. The music was recorded live in Copenhagen in 1963 at the peak of Monk’s career. A year later he was to feature on the cover of TIME magazine.

The performance, a mixture of Monk originals and interpretations of standards, showcases Monk at his prime: full of avant-garde flair and wit, but always with a swinging feel that explains his title as the 'High Priest of Bebop'.

The original tapes, saved from a skip and blessed with the approval of the Monk estate, have been faithfully restored, mastered and cut using Gearbox's legendary all-analogue process. The deluxe clear vinyl version of Mønk comes in a hand-numbered edition of 500 copies which you can pre-order here along with conventional black vinyl and digital versions. Hear "Nutty" below.