By the 1960s, Thelonious Monk—the American pianist and composer behind dozens of beloved jazz standards—had finally made a name for himself in the international spotlight, after several decades toiling away in the New York music scene, where his "difficult" music he received little mainstream recognition despite significant critical acclaim.

Here he is joined by Charlie Rouse (saxophone), Larry Gales (bass), and Ben Riley (percussion) for a two-part live session in Paris, at the Maison de la Culture in Amiens, and treats the audience to several of his iconic songs including perhaps his most well-known of all: "Round Midnight," which went on to feature in the regular line-up of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock, and also to inspire reworkings by classical composers such as Milton Babbitt and George Crumb.