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This is the sixth studio album cut by Thelonious Monk under the production/direction
of Teo Macero for Columbia and as such should not be confused with the
original motion picture soundtrack to the 1988 film of the same name.
The original disc only included six performances, half of which were edited
due to the stringent time constraints of vinyl. The 1996 CD not only restores
all of the previously abridged performances, but also adds a trio of sides,
two of which ("I Didn't Know About You: Take 1" and "Green
Chimneys") are issued here for the first time. The band featured
here includes: Monk (piano), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Ben Riley (drums),
and Larry Gales (bass). This would be the final quartet Monk would assemble
to record with in the studio. While far from being somber, this unit retained
a mature flavor which would likewise place Monk's solos in a completely
new context. At times, this adaptation presents itself more subtly than
others. For instance, Monk's extended solo in "Locomotive" never
reaches beyond itself due in part to the tempo-laden rhythm section. The
contrast of styles, however, appreciates the caliber of this particular
solo, including an obvious assertion by Monk which leads the band, albeit
temporarily, into playing double-time. Other recommended quartet selections
on this disc include a liberated version of the title track, which not
only highlights some stellar interaction between Monk and Rouse, but is
heard on the CD reissue in its original performance length. The same can
be said for "We See," which now includes nearly three missing
minutes and features the hardest bop on the album. In addition to the
quartet sides, Straight, No Chaser contains two unaccompanied piano solos:
"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "This Is
My Story, This Is My Song." (by Lindsay Planer, AMG)
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