| Genius of Modern Music | |
| Type: | compilation album |
| Artist: | Thelonious Monk |
| Cover: | BLP 1510 Monk.jpg |
| Caption: | Volume 1 |
| Released: | 1956 1989/2001 |
| Studio: | WOR New York City |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Label: | Blue Note BLP 1510 (Vol. One) BLP 1511 (Vol. Two) |
| Producer: | Alfred Lion |
Genius of Modern Music, Vols. One & Two are a pair of separate but related 12" compilation albums (LPs) by American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk released on Blue Note in 1956. Later re-issues on CD include more material recorded at the same sessions but not released on the original LPs.
Monk recorded six sessions for Blue Note, all produced by Alfred Lion: October 15 and 24, 1947, November 21, 1947, July 2, 1948, July 23, 1951, and May 30, 1952. All sessions were recorded by Doug Hawkins at WOR Studios, except July 2, 1948, recorded at Apex Studios.
Two 10"s were cut from the first five sessions: Genius of Modern Music (1951) and Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 (1952). After 10"s lost the format war, Blue Note began reissuing its Modern Jazz Series on 12"s. Material from the two ten-inches, the 1952 session, and other outtakes were recompiled on Genius of Modern Music, Vol. One (BLP 1510) and Genius of Modern Music, Vol. Two (BLP 1511).
The two volumes were recompiled for their CD reissue, moving the entire July 2, 1948 session to the Milt Jackson: Wizard of the Vibes reissue, and placing the other five sessions (with outtakes) in chronological order, with the 1947 sessions on Volume One and the 1951 and 1952 sessions on Volume Two.
See also: List of compositions by Thelonious Monk.