Question about Monk's Music and Misterioso OJC's

[CJ Shearn]

I bought a lot of 21 Monk discs on ebay for $40 which will enhance and fill holes in my Monk section nicely. I already have K2's of "Monk's Music" and "Misterioso" which of course are detailed, but not everyone likes the sound of. Would it be wise to hang onto both versions?

Edited November 16, 2014 by CJ Shearn

[erwbol]

I'd keep the K2 of Monk's Music for being the mono recording.

[Clunky]

I'd keep the K2 of Monk's Music for being the mono recording.

i'd agree but i would keep the OJC for the stereo versions which have their own appeal (to me, at least )

[Chuck Nessa]

The K2 Monk's Music is desert island material for me.

[erwbol]

I'd keep the K2 of Monk's Music for being the mono recording.

i'd agree but i would keep the OJC for the stereo versions which have their own appeal (to me, at least )

Sure, I meant keep both. I think I read somewhere they used a different microphone setup for the mono resulting in a different sound.

I currently have the K2 and OJC 24bit remaster.

Edited November 16, 2014 by erwbol

[CJ Shearn]

Thank you! I recall there being differences between the K2 of Monk's Music and the OJC.

[mikeweil]

On 15.11.2014 at 4:14 PM, Chuck Nessa said:

The K2 Monk's Music is desert island material for me.

Chuck, thank you for repeating this opinion constantly over the years on this forum. I finally got a copy of this version from a discogs seller in Belarus, in perfect condition. It sounds far superior to any other version of this music I heard. Who needs stereo when mono sounds that great? 

[erwbol]

I agree on the greatness of the mono recording.

However, the K2 has an annoying smiley eq. The bass is unnaturally boosted. Really annoying if you like to crank the sound up and have floor-standing speakers imo, both for the ears and the neighbours.

Hands down the best version of the mono Monk's Music on CD was mastered by Kevin Gray for inclusion in the Analogue Productions box set The Riverside Tenor Sessions on Gold CD. A stunning audiophile remastering.

https://www.discogs.com/Thelonious-Monk-The-Riverside-Tenor-Sessions/release/4373398

I don't have the entire set, but was lucky enough to find a sealed copy of just Monk's Music from this set. At one point Acoustic Sounds still had one or two whole sets left and also some single sealed Gold CDs from the set. I payed roughly $50 incl. shipping from a seller on eBay, but it was absolutely worth it.

Not to spoil your mood, Mike. I was happy enough at first with the K2 compared to the various stereo CDs I owned, but the K2 sounds rough and ugly compared to the silky warm tones of the APO Gold CD.

I do still have that now near mint copy of the K2 incl slipcase and am willing to part with it for a friendly price, though shipping from the Netherlands is relatively high.

Edited June 7, 2019 by erwbol

[erwbol]

PS Acoustic Sounds still has new copies the complete set: https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=thelonious%20m%20onk&CategoryID=7

Edited June 7, 2019 by erwbol

[Kevin Bresnahan]

16 hours ago, erwbol said:

PS Acoustic Sounds still has new copies the complete set: https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=thelonious%20m%20onk&CategoryID=7

I've thought about buying this many times but not at $35 per disc. That's a lot in today's market, even if they are gold plated.

[erwbol]

The mastering is what counts, and it is fantastic. In terms of source material used, however, I'd say only Monk's Music's mono recording with the differing microphone setup is essential. There are enough excellent editions of the other albums around. But if you can find a copy of just Monk's Music from this set for a reasonable price, go for it. It's that good.