Thelonious Monk effortlessly referenced disparate developments in jazz history, moving from bop back to stride during any given session. And it’s the capacious nature of his practice that conductor Miho Hazama captures in her seven arrangements of Monk tunes for the Metropole Orkest Big Band. One of the date’s most endearing musical moments, though, comes during a sprightly spotlight: most of the band drops out, leaving just the rhythm section and a lone trumpeter to linger in the chords behind “Ruby, My Dear.” - DownBeat Magazine Editors' Pick
