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Title: Out There
Review: I can't speak to the genius of any artist. Music -- like literature, a painting or a sculpture -- either speaks to the listener or it doesn't. I've been listening to jazz most of my adult life and understand that its very improvisatory nature, especially in live performances, often results in hits or misses when it comes to exploration of a theme. I've heard eight or ten different live versions of some of Monk's classic tunes -- Blue Monk, `Round Midnight, Misterioso, Straight, No Chaser -- each rendition different. Some were hit out of the ballpark, while others left men on base. I've seen Brubeck perform three times and he almost never failed to hit for extra bases.When it comes to musicians like Monk and Coltrane, a listener either gets them or they don't. I received this boxed set as a Christmas gift, and while the uninitiated might care more for the Master Takes single disc version, I very much enjoyed this complete recordings.Recommended, but perhaps an acquired taste.
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