Underground

Thelonious Monk appears on the cover in a staged French Resistance scene with a machine gun and a pigeon. This visual choice reflects the angular and eccentric piano approach heard on the record. It represents some of the most daring work from the latter portion of his career.

These Columbia sessions feature a quartet operating at high capability. The music combines playful melodic lines with the distinct dissonant style associated with the pianist. It serves as a record of a performer refining his methods while testing the limits of the hard bop form.