Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (Remastered) Thelonious Monk

• 1Ruby, My Dear06:21
• 2Trinkle, Tinkle06:39
• 3Off Minor (Take 4)05:15
• 4Nutty06:38
• 5Epistrophy (Alternate Take)03:10
• 6Functional (Take 1)09:46
• Total Runtime37:49

Info for Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (Remastered)

When Monk and Trane spent six months of 1957 working together at New York's Five Spot Cafe, it was an historic event which certainly should have been exhaustively recorded. But nonmusical conflicts made that impossible, leaving as the only permanent reminders of this momentous encounter the three remarkable quartet selections that highlight this album.

Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane is a 1961 album by Thelonious Monk issued on Jazzland Records, a subsidiary of Riverside Records. It consists of material recorded four years earlier when Monk worked extensively with John Coltrane, issued after Coltrane had become a leader and jazz star in his own right.

The original LP was assembled by the label with material from three different sessions. The impetus for the album was the discovery of three usable studio tracks recorded by the Monk Quartet with Coltrane in July 1957 at the beginning of the band's six-month residency at New York's legendary Five Spot club near Cooper Square. To round out the release, producer Keepnews included two outtakes from the Monk's Music album recorded the previous month, and one additional outtake from Thelonious Himself recorded in April.

"Among Thelonious Monk's long stays at New York's legendary Five Spot was a six-month period in 1957 with possibly his most brilliant band, with John Coltrane finding fuel in Monk's music for his harmonic explorations. The quartet only recorded three studio tracks: a sublime reading of Monk's ballad "Ruby, My Dear"; a loping version of "Nutty"; and a stunning version of "Trinkle Tinkle" on which Trane's tenor mirrors Monk's piano part. The album is completed with outtakes from an octet session that joined Coltrane and Coleman Hawkins and an extended solo version of "Functional." (Stuart Broomer)

"Universally regarded as one of the greatest collaborations between the two most influential musicians in modern jazz (Miles Davis notwithstanding), the Jazzland sessions from Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane should be recognized on other levels. While the mastery of the principals is beyond reproach, credit should also be given to peerless bassist Wilbur Ware, as mighty an anchor as anyone could want. These 1957 dates also sport a variety in drummerless trio, quartet, septet, or solo piano settings, all emphasizing the compelling and quirky compositions of Monk. A shouted-out, pronounced "Off Minor" and robust, three-minute "Epistrophy" with legendary saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Gigi Gryce, and the brilliant, underappreciated trumpeter Ray Copeland are hallmark tracks that every jazz fan should revere. Of the four quartet sessions, the fleet "Trinkle Tinkle" tests Coltrane's mettle, as he's perfectly matched alongside Monk, but conversely unforced during "Nutty" before taking off. Monk's solo piano effort, "Functional," is flavored with blues, stride, and boogie-woogie, while a bonus track, "Monk's Mood," has a Monk-Ware-Coltrane tandem (minus drummer Shadow Wilson) back for an eight-minute excursion primarily with Monk in a long intro, 'Trane in late, and Ware's bass accents booming through the studio. This will always be an essential item standing proudly among unearthed live sessions from Monk and Coltrane, demarcating a pivotal point during the most significant year in all types of music, from a technical and creative standpoint, but especially the jazz of the immediate future." (Michael G. Nastos, AMG)

Thelonious Monk, piano
John Coltrane, tenor saxophone (tracks 1–5, 7)
Ray Copeland, trumpet on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy"
Gigi Gryce, alto saxophone on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy"
Coleman Hawkins, tenor saxophone on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy"
Wilbur Ware, bass on all except for "Functional"
Shadow Wilson, drums on "Ruby, My Dear", "Trinkle, Tinkle" and "Nutty"
Art Blakey, drums on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy"

Recorded April 16, 1957, June 25–26, 1957, July, 1957 at Reeves Sound Studios, New York City
Produced by Orrin Keepnews

Digitally remastered

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This album contains no booklet.