Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane

Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane on 180g LP from Analogue Productions: Mastered AAA by Kevin Gray from the Original Analog Master Tapes and Pressed at QRP

One of the most significant events in jazz took place in the latter part of 1957 at the Five Spot in New York, where the Thelonious Monk quartet featuring John Coltrane on tenor saxophone was in residence. The music that Monk made with Coltrane quickly attained the status of legend. Although the group remained together for only a half-year, those who were lucky enough to witness them play called it electrifying.

The recordings on Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane are more Monk's than Coltrane's — Monk was signed to Riverside at the time — and the set mixes in three quartet tracks that have the pair working with Wilbur Ware on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums — plus two more from the sessions for the famous Monk's Music record — alternate takes from those sessions, with a larger group that features Gigi Gryce on alto, Coleman Hawkins on additional tenor, and Ray Copeland on trumpet. Quartet tracks include "Ruby, My Dear," "Trinkle, Tnkle," and "Nutty" — with the larger group on alternates of "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy" — and a solo performance by Monk on an alternate of "Functional."