if not Monk, then who
Reviewer: gepetto from Valladolid, Spain
Most of the times enthusiasm clouds objectivity: listeners' reviews usually give five stars almost in a routine way, but not in this. If not Monk, then who deserves the maximum?

     A REBUTTAL TO STEVEN IN MILWAUKEE
Reviewer: Paul Craig from Oshawa, ONT. /Canada
Dear Steven - If you ever really listen to Monk you would know that he constantly strove to find a better, more harmonic way to present himself and his music - alternate takes present that once in a lifetime opportunity to hear that one difference that makes that song different and perhaps better .......

     my man monk
Reviewer: kwabena benyarko from newyork
monk to me is the most original jazz cat.I believe this album is an example of his best work.

     monk is the reason i LOVE jazz! vol. 2....
Reviewer: w.parker from ohio
these two BLUE NOTE volumes are essential for anyone who enjoys music. great remasters. fingers getting tired... read vol. 1 review..

     MONKS BEST
Reviewer: Dm from au
This is the best Monk recordings ever!He has never sounded or played better than on this disc.Superior to Volume 1 or anything else he would play in his career.Buy this and its all the Monk you will ever need!

     alt. takes remind us of the true nature of jazz
Reviewer: Chuck from St. Louis, Missouri
The single greatest difference between this disc and Genius, Vol. 1 is the presence of Milt Jackson's vibes. There is a slightly more languid quality to the tunes he performs on in contrast to the more frantic bop of Vol. 1. His performance on "Willow Weep For Me" is one of my favorites from this disc. In response to the previous reviewer, it is important to note that we live now in the era of the cd which allows (and we now expect) over an hour of recorded music. The importance of the opportunity to hear alternate tracks of the same composition from historic sessions is this: it reminds us of the true improvisational nature of the music we call jazz - that we should not think of any one recording as the 'definitive' version, but as one particular moment in time captured for posterity. This re-issue, as in Vol. 1, handles the alternate takes more appropriately - placing them after the order of released tunes for a set, which I believe makes for a better listening experience.

     less alternate tracks
Reviewer: Steven from milwuakee
I wish I could obtain the original released recordings- that's it. All the ridiculous bonus tracks on this and other reissues is silly. I am not, nor do I listen to music like, a musicologist. They should keep the original releases released and let the musicologists buy nine different recordings of the same track on one CD.

     monk , el monje zen
Reviewer: Rafael Suriano from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Monk at his best! I love his sound!these two volumes are the reason why i liked jazz and bebop specialy. Monk has a beutifull mind.

     monk , el monje zen
Reviewer: Rafael Suriano from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Monk at his best! I love his sound!these two volumes are the reason why i liked jazz and bebop specialy. Monk has a beutifull mind.

     The music matters more
Reviewer: Frank Goodenough from Dallas, Texas
Both of the MONK reissues (or rather, re-reissues) sound wonderful given the narrow sonic range of the original recordings. Ultimately, the sound quality matters less than the beauty and originality of the music. The original sleeve art of the older discs used for the Rudy Van Gelder Editions provides a fresh spin for those of us too young to remember how the Blue Note covers first looked, and those unhappy with the new/old look should be able to find some reward with the inclusion of familiar Reid Miles sleeve art inside. Again, the music matters more.

     The new RVG reissues are cool, just not the covers
Reviewer: T. Allen Matsumura from Honolulu, Hawaii
I personally love the new RVG editions but i think the choice to not use the original Reid Miles covers is a bad decision. One of the reasons i like the albums that Blue Note produces is their distictive cover art. I am a graphic artist and as a graphic artist i believe that the Reid Miles covers should be preserved. Feedback please: Babazat@aol.com