The Unique Thelonious Monk
| The Unique Thelonious Monk | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1956 | |||
| Recorded | March 17 and April 3, 1956 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 38:12 | |||
| Label | Riverside | |||
| Producer | Orrin Keepnews | |||
| Thelonious Monk chronology | ||||
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| Original cover | ||||
Cover of the original 1956 release. The "postage stamp" cover was used for pressings from 1958 onward.  | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating | 
| AllMusic | |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | |
The Unique Thelonious Monk is a 1956 album by Thelonious Monk. It was his second for Riverside Records, and, like his Riverside debut, is made up of standards. It was a continuation of Riverside's strategy to broaden consumer interest in Monk by having him record cover versions of well-known material which, Riverside hoped, would help to break down the prevailing perception that Monk's original music was "too difficult" for mass-market acceptance.
Riverside, at the time of the first re-issue, printed copies of the stamp that was featured on the cover art. Some of these made their way through the United States Postal Service, which issued a restraining order against the company. Monk was subsequently featured on a genuine stamp, which was issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 1995.