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“With the robust ambience of Fugazi Hall in San Francisco at his disposal, Thelonious Monk recorded ten unaccompanied tracks over two days to create a long-awaited sequel to his immensely endearing Thelonious Himself long-player. As had become somewhat customary for Monk, he brought with him a healthy sampling from his voluminous back catalog, cover tunes, as well as a few new compositions. What is most immediately striking about these recordings is the rich and accurate sound stage at Fugazi Hall. The overtones are rich and thoughtful in their ability to animate Monk's recreations of some of his most endearing works, such as the pair that opens this set. "Blue Monk" still retains the proud stride and walking blues heritage of previous renderings. Adding a bit of off-tempo improvisation, Monk propels and emphasizes the rhythmic swing even harder. He is obviously also enjoying what he is hearing. The audible maturity guiding Monk through the familiar, albeit offbeat, chord progressions of "Ruby, My Dear" is striking. His nimble reflexes and split-second timing render this version superior. Again, the sound of the hall offers even more to enjoy from this performance.” – All Music

“Even without words, his piano mastery immediately transfixes all listeners and guides them through an emotional journey that could be ruined only by other sounds. That’s why Thelonious Alone in San Francisco, the second of three albums filled with nothing but solo piano music that Monk released in his career, continues to set the standard for jazz performance today. Sure, any fan of the genre can already tell you how influential the release was when originally recorded in 1959. But with Concord Music’s Original Jazz Classics series' recent reissue, we are all reminded once again of the legend’s impact on an entire movement of music.” – Pop Matters

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