During his early years, Thelonious Monk was considered one of the “most challenging, provocative and disturbing figures in modern music.” His music was considered difficult to listen to and understand, causing many fans initially to shy away from trying to “dig Monk.” This album helped remedy that problem. Recorded in December 1956 for Riverside with a quartet featuring primarily Max Roach (percussion), Sonny Rollins (tenor sax), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Ernie Henry (alto sax), Clark Terry (trumpet), “Brilliant Corners”, an album of mostly self-penned numbers, is one of his greatest recordings. While still not casual listening, its pure brilliance and vitality can reach just about any listener.