Despite various reissue formats over several decades, the seven original LPs contained in Thelonious Monk - The Riverside Tenor Sessions stood perfectly well on their own at the time of initial release and remain among the highest achievements of a truly golden age. Recorded and released between 1956 and 1961, these seven Monk combo albums were critical in Monk's emergence from a decade of ridicule and neglect to his status at the pinnacle of the jazz pantheon.
The sextet sessions from which Quartet Plus Two At the Blackhawk sprung started out as a collaboration. The occasion was Monk's second visit to San Francisco. He took his current quartet — Monk on piano; Charlie Rouse, tenor sax; John Ore, bass; and Billy Higgins, drums, plus he added two of the most impressive horn men available on the West Coast — trumpeter Joe Gordon and tenor sax player Harold Land. This vibrant live performance took place at the famed San Francisco jazz club in 1960.