Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music (1951)

"'Round About Midnight" by the Thelonious Monk Quintet

Thelonious Monk worked to convince his record label Riverside to sign Johnny Griffin but lost out to the sentinels of modern jazz, Blue Note Records (Monk's own first label.)  One of the pioneers of bebop, Thelonious Monk started recording as a bandleader in 1947 and releasing several singles that Blue Note Records eventually compiled into his 1951 debut album Genius of Modern Music.

Here is the discography surrounding Thelonious Monk's debut album:

Evonce (1948 single with his Sextet and Trio)

In Walked Bud (1948 single with his Quintet and Quartet)

'Round About Midnight (1948 single with his Quintet and Trio)

Thelonious (1948 single with his Sextet)

Who Knows (1948 single with his Quintet)

Humph (1949 single with his Sextet and Quartet)

Ruby My Dear (1949 single with his Trio and Quartet)

April in Paris (1950 single with his Trio)

Genius of Modern Music

Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1 (1956 expanded album re-release)

"Epistrophy" by the Thelonious Monk Quartet

"In Walked Bud" by the Thelonious Monk Quintet

"Thelonious" by the Thelonious Monk Sextet

Pass the Headphones!!

Johnny Griffin - Introducing Johnny Griffin (1957)

"Mil Dew" by Johnny Griffin

Alongside several dozen singles, Parrot Records managed to release only one LP (that would be Ahmad Jamal Plays) before folding.  They sold their master tapes to the Chess label which then re-released Jamal's record as the more portentous Chamber Music of the New Jazz.  Parrot recorded a couple more albums by other rookie bandleaders but never managed to release them: tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin was one of those rookies.  He eventually saw his debut leading on wax with Blue Note's Introducing Johnny Griffin in 1957.

Here is the discography surrounding Johnny Griffin's debut album:

Nice and Easy (1956 single)

Mil Dew (1956 single)

Introducing Johnny Griffin

"Nice and Easy" by Johnny Griffin

"It's All Right with Me" by Johnny Griffin

Pass the Headphones!!