Monk’s fi rst major record contract was with Riverside,though at that time the company was just a smallindependent label that paled in comparison to themagnitude of Columbia, which would be his next stepto success. The pianist’s obscurity at the time, and hisaura as a diffi cult musicians’ musician, led Riverside’sproducer Orrin Keepnews to have Monk dedicate histwo earliest LPs for the label to interpretations of songsby other composers: a homage to Duke Ellington andthe LP presented here, The Unique Thelonious Monk,a set of well-known standards. The positive receptionof these works by the public would result in Keepnewsallowing Monk to record his own compositions. BackingMonk are such brilliant musicians as Oscar Pettiford onbass, and Art Blakey on drums.

• 1. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) (George & Ira Gershwin-Gu
• 2. Memories of You (Eubie Blake-Andy Razaf) 4:20
• 3. Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller-Andy Razaf) 5:35
• 4. Darn That Dream (Jimmy Van Heusen-Eddie Delange) 6:33
• 5. Tea For Two (Vincent Youmans-Irving Caesar) 5:58
• 6. You Are Too Beautiful (Richard Rodgers-Lorenz Hart) 4:58
• 7. Just You, Just Me (Raymond Klages-Jesse Greer) 8:01
• 8. April In Paris (Vernon Duke-E.Y. "Yip" Harburg) 3:20*