Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk

1	Thelonious 4:51
2	Evidence 4:26
3	We See 3:20
4	Monk's Mood 3:02
5	Worry Later 6:15
6	Four in One 5:49
7	Reflections 6:15
8	In Walked Monk 4:23
9	Hackensack 3:04
10	Let's Cool One 4:11
11	Brilliant Corners 4:50
12	Brake's Sake 6:59
13	Ugly Beauty 2:38
14	Green Chimneys 4:42

Barnes & Noble

The ingenious, idiosyncratic, and utterly original compositions of Thelonious Sphere Monk have a magnet-like pull for jazz musicians. Now it's Wynton Marsalis's turn to devote an entire recording to the once-and-future "Genius of Modern Jazz." Despite his prodigious output of original material, memorable composition has never been Marsalis's forte. His best original work is most successful when strong performances fortify the weakness of the songs themselves. But let Marsalis loose on great jazz tunes, and the combination of inspired material and consistently formidable playing makes for a knock-out punch. Mating his skills as an imaginative arranger and a superb bandleader, Marsalis leads his crack band through graceful reinterpretations of such Monk classics as "Evidence," "Reflections," "Hackensack," "Ugly Beauty," and "Brilliant Corners." Although there's plenty of the leader's bravura trumpet playing to go around -- his breathless twists and turns on "Four In One" are particularly impressive -- the spotlight is shared equally with the other members of the ensemble. In fact, ''We See" is given over to saxophonist {|Wess Anderson|} as a feature, while pianist Eric Reed enthusiastically leads the rhythm section through "Brilliant Corners" and drummer Herlin Riley solos brilliantly on "Green Chimneys." Special kudos go to the unnamed genius who decided against including "Round Midnight," the most overworked Monk composition of the last 20 years. William Pearl

All Music Guide

As the fourth volume of Wynton Marsalis' ongoing Standard Time project, as well as the first volume of his planned eight-disc series Swinging into the 2, Marsalis Plays Monk arrives with some baggage -- but it isn't as great as the baggage that comes with tackling the compositions of Thelonious Monk, one of the greatest and most idiosyncratic composers in jazz history. Marsalis takes two different tactics to distinguish himself. He avoids the obvious choices, the songs that have long been part of every jazz musician's repertoire -- no "'Round Midnight" or "Well, You Needn't" will be heard here -- and focuses on a selection of 14 tunes that illustrate the complexity and diversity of Monk's music. Secondly, Marsalis decided to give all these songs clean, direct arrangements, which makes this music more accessible. To some listeners, it may be a little disconcerting to hear the rough edges sanded away, but these precise arrangements are quite engaging in their own right, demonstrating the versatility of Monk's compositions. Marsalis might not offer anything new, but with his stellar supporting band -- including tenor saxophonists Walter Blanding and Victor Goines, alto saxophonist Wessell Anderson, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist Eric Reed, bassists Ben Wolfe and Reginald Veal, and drummer Herlin Riley -- he's made an enjoyable classicist jazz LP that happens to be an affectionate tribute to a true master. Stephen Thomas Erlewine