Prestige · in the Kissa Kissa racks

Thelonious Monk

Recorded	Oct 15, 1952 & Sep 22, 1954
Label	Prestige
Released	1952
Personnel	11 credited players
Discogs	master 331610

The record

Prestige caught the pianist mid-transition here, shuffling trio and septet lineups while a young Rollins locks into his logic. Three bassists and three drummers pass through, the label visibly working out how to frame him.

Session personnel

Curly Russell — bass
Gary Mapp — bass
Percy Heath — bass
Art Blakey — drums
Max Roach — drums
Willie Jones — drums
Julius Watkins — french horn
Thelonious Monk — piano
Frank Foster — tenor saxophone
Sonny Rollins — tenor saxophone
Ray Copeland — trumpet

Contemporary reception

No period review located yet. The vintage-press pipeline searches DownBeat, Cash Box, and Billboard for this session.

Pressings

Showing the first pressing, audiophile reissues and copies carrying a collector marker, out of 90 pressings on file.

1958	Prestige · PRLP 7053 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Reissue, Mono earliest on file · RVG stamp
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation · RVG stamp
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Stereo · RVG stamp
2014	Concord Records — File, FLAC, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered, 24bit 44.1kHz RVG · RVG stamp
1963	Stateside · MSL 6008 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Remastered · laminated sleeve
1969	Fratelli Fabbri Editori · SdMJ-016 — Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP
1969	Prestige · 2C 054 - 90.425 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Stereo
1972	Prestige
1972	GNP Crescendo · GNP 9008 — Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Mono
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Mono
1972	Bellaphon · BLST 6516 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Remastered, Gatefold · gatefold
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation
1972	Prestige · PR 24006 — Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Promo