Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser

When I was in college, one of my professors gave us an extra credit question on a test: Who is the greatest jazz musician Charlie Parker or Louie Armstrong? I chose Bird, because I am a huge bop fan and while I love Satchmo, I would rather listen to Miles, Coltrane, or Monk any time. The professor did not agree and we all wasted half an hour arguing over it during the next class. Twenty years later, I am sticking to my guns. The first of the jazz classics I would like to offer up is Thelonious Monk's Straight, No Chaser. The title track is one of my favorite Monk songs and it has become a standard. I know Monk is considered a legend in the jazz world, but it was interesting to read that he was practically ignored when he started out in 1947. It wasn't until the 1960's that his music became popular and he started to sell a lot of records. If you want to dive a little deeper into the Monk catalog (there are close to 100 records in his discography) you should also check out Brilliant Corners and Monk's Dream.