Date Released: 13. Januar 2009 Genre: Jazz Style: Jazz/Blues Label: 2008 Xanadu Records / The Orchard 58:52 Total Length01. Let's Cool OneArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 6:33 02. PannonicaArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart | Doug Weiss Advance eMusic Only 4:35 03. WorkArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 4:23 04. Brilliant CornersArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 4:47 05. In Walked BudArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 5:21 06. Monk's MoodArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 2:26 07. Well You Needn'tArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart | Peter Bernstein Advance eMusic Only 7:15 08. Bemsha SwingArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 6:03 09. Played TwiceArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss Advance eMusic Only 4:39 10. Ruby, My DearArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart | Doug Weiss | Peter Bernstein Advance eMusic Only 2:25 11. Blues 5 SpotArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Peter Bernstein | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 6:24 12. ReflectionsArtists: Bill Stewart, Doug Weiss, Peter Bernstein | Peter Bernstein | Doug Weiss | Bill Stewart Advance eMusic Only 4:01Peter Bernstein (Guitar)Doug Weiss (Bass) Bill Stewart (Drums) Review by Charles FarrellIf ever there was a jazz composer whose work wouldnt seem guitar-friendly, it is Thelonious Monk. Piano players can tap into the basic percussiveness of his pieces and horn players can dig aggressively into his blowing tunes or rhapsodize over the ballads. But a guitarist, especially one whose style owes much to the traditional masters like Jim Hall and Joe Pass, might seem too timid. Peter Bernstein has figured out a way to take on Monk without sacrificing any of the guitars natural attributes. He knows Monks material backward and forward, but eschews the musics quirkiness in favor of its architecture. The key here is using musical intelligence. In this pursuit, he is ably assisted by bass player Doug Weiss and the understandably ubiquitous drummer Bill Stewart. By collectively reducing the flamboyant elements of Monks music, they get to the spare beauty found beneath the surface. Theres a calm to the opening Lets Cool One that allows Bernstein to slowly build his solo, a blend of articulate single note runs and strategically based chordal references. Weisss solo follows, and then Bernstein trades fours with Stewart. The drummer is able to play with great force at minimal volume. The exquisite ballad Pannonica is a crystalline performance, Bernstein adding brief asides as he states the melody. Monks own approach to his up-tempo tunes was to gallop through them. Bernstein is morepristine: Work is very contained, with the guitarist letting the drums do the galloping. Weiss walks strongly to set up In Walked Bud. The guitar plays vaguely elliptical lines, roughly the equivalent to dropping consonants, as Stewart aggressively fills in the blanks. Well You Neednt offers a nice twist: its played in a subtle and swinging 5/4. On Bemsha Swing, the guitar returns to the effective device of echoing the single note melody with chordal references. Ruby, My Dear is one of my favorite Monk compositions, and it may well be one of Peter Bernsteins too. He plays it solo, love and care for this great tune emanating from every note. Blues 5 Spot is a first rate take on the blues, the tempo just right, the guys digging in hard, Weiss playing a tough little solo, Stewart shaking things up during the fours, after which the trio slides back together like a well-oiled machine.