Nowadays we are confronted with Justin Bieber's monkey business or the absurd Gagaism of Lady Gaga (even topping Lady Madonna). Ages ago we were puzzled by The Who throwing tv sets out of their hotel windows. Way before these coevals of Pop and Rock the strangeness of stardom was in music already. In terms of jazz this surely counts for Thelonious Monk. Monk was a genius. And he led a life of a genius back then. He didn't want to be patronized, but accepted Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter as patron. So he had enough relaxation to bring to the world such memorable compositions as „Brilliant Corners“, „Straight, No Chaser“ or „Well, You Needn't“. One of the tracks („Pannonica“) presented here, he even dedicated to his patron. This set is completed by one of Monk's rare sideman activitities: He accompanied no one less than Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, teaming up for their classic Bird & Diz waxing.