Thelonious Monk With Bird and Diz

The pianist made the six tracks for Clef in 1950 exciting

In June 1950, producer Norman Granz brought together an astonishing quintet to record for his Clef label. The band’s members were Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Charlie Parker (as), Thelonious Monk (p), Curley Russell (b) and Buddy Rich (d). The session remains fascinating, thanks largely to Monk.