ArtistInfo

Thelonious Monk And Gerry Mulligan
Mulligan Meets Monk

Album US 1957 on Riverside Records label
Jazz (Bop, Cool Jazz)

Very first pressing of 'Mulligan Meets Monk' - does not yet have the photograph of Monk and Mulligan on the front cover. Also bears no 'Riverside' and/or logo at the bottom right front cover; it does, however, bear the 'Contemporary Series' sign with Riverside and the catalog number mentioned in it at the top right of the front cover. Unlike other 1957 U.S. pressings this one has the red-ink 'ribbon' stamp that reads 'Riverside Spectrosonic High Fidelity Engineering Reeves', placed to the right of the personnel names [see images]. Same release exist with Monk/Mulligan photo on front sleeve : Mulligan Meets Monk The fact that this version is the first pressing is confirmed by the other titles with their catalog numbers as stated on the back cover in the bottom right corner: "Monk's other Riverside albums are" and "Other outstanding jazz on 12-inch HIGH FIDELITY Riverside LPs includes" all mention Riverside catalogue numbers between RLP 12-201 and RLP 12-246. Higher numbers had not been released yet and "Mulligan Meets Monk" itself is RLP 12-247. Back covers of other 1957 U.S. pressings have different wording on the bottom right back cover: "Monk's other Riverside albums include" and "Other notable Riverside LPs include" and now mention catalog numbers much higher than RLP 12-247; all the way up to RLP 12-305, which is "5 by Monk by 5", which itself was released in 1959 and could not have been mentioned on a 1957 back cover; confirming that this submission is the actual 1st pressing of this release. The above can be checked with this release and this release. Both releases have different front covers, now with the photograph of Monk and Mulligan, top left. The first one reads 'Contemporary Series' in upper right hand corner, the other release only has 'Riverside [+ logo]' in lower right hand corner. Most importantly, the catalog numbers on both back covers all show the much higher catalog numbers including "5 by Monk by 5" from 1959; in fact also confirming that both versions are reissues from 1959. Other notable detail is a 'typo' in the matrix/runout etchings: the cat.# etched in the dead wax of the A-side starts with "RL" where it must be "RLP" [see images and matrix/runout info at identifiers]. Last but not least, both sides have Research Craft's patent numbers in the dead wax: U.S.PAT.# RE 23,946 and G.B. PAT.# 713,418 more information here. On the A-side, the numbers are unreadable, on the B-side they're obvious. Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, NYC, on August 12 (A2, B2, B3) and 13 (A1, A3, B1) 1957 [dates of the respective tracks from jazzdisco.org; location and dates of the recording sessions from back cover].

Musicians

	Thelonious Monk p, 1917-1982 US piano, album by, written by
	Gerry Mulligan bs, 1927-1996 US baritone saxophone, album by, written by
	Wilbur Ware b, 1923-1979 US bass
	Shadow Wilson dr, 1919-1959 US drums

Producers

Composers

ArtistInfo App

Acknowledgements

ArtistInfo for Mac, iPad, and iPhone