The album was assembled past times the label with cloth from 3 dissimilar sessions. The impetus for the album was the regain of 3 usable studio tracks recorded past times the Monk Quartet with Coltrane inward July of 1957 at the starting fourth dimension of the band's six-month residency at New York's legendary Five Spot gild close Cooper Square. To circular out the release, producer Keepnews included 2 outtakes from the Monk's Music album recorded the previous month, together with an additional outtake from Thelonious Himself recorded inward April. The latter selection, "Functional," is a solo pianoforte slice past times Monk.
It was reissued inward 2000 on Fantasy Records every bit business office of its serial for dorsum catalogue using the JVC 20-bit K2 coding system. Because of the historical significance of this album it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame inward 2007.
Universally regarded every bit i of the greatest collaborations betwixt the 2 nigh influential musicians inward modern jazz (Miles Davis notwithstanding), the Jazzland sessions from Thelonious Monk together with John Coltrane should last recognized on other levels. While the mastery of the principals is beyond reproach, credit should too last given to peerless bassist Wilbur Ware, every bit mighty an anchor every bit anyone could want. These 1957 dates too sport a diversity inward drummerless trio, quartet, septet, or solo pianoforte settings, all emphasizing the compelling together with quirky compositions of Monk. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 shouted-out, pronounced "Off Minor" together with robust, three-minute "Epistrophy" with legendary saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Gigi Gryce, together with the brilliant, underappreciated trumpeter Ray Copeland are hallmark tracks that every jazz fan should revere. Of the 4 quartet sessions, the fleet "Trinkle Tinkle" tests Coltrane's mettle, every bit he's perfectly matched with Monk, but conversely unforced during "Nutty" before taking off. Monk's solo pianoforte effort, "Functional," is flavored with blues, stride, together with boogie-woogie, spell a bonus track, "Monk's Mood," has a Monk-Ware-Coltrane tandem (minus drummer Shadow Wilson) dorsum for an eight-minute excursion primarily with Monk inward a long intro, 'Trane inward late, together with Ware's bass accents booming through the studio. This volition ever last an essential particular standing proudly amidst unearthed alive sessions from Monk together with Coltrane, demarcating a pivotal indicate during the nigh meaning yr inward all types of music, from a technical together with creative standpoint, but particularly the jazz of the immediate future.
Among Thelonious Monk's long stays at New York's legendary Five Spot was a six-month menses inward 1957 with mayhap his nigh bright band, with John Coltrane finding fuel inward Monk's music for his harmonic explorations. The quartet alone recorded 3 studio tracks: a sublime reading of Monk's ballad "Ruby, My Dear"; a loping version of "Nutty"; together with a stunning version of "Trinkle Tinkle" on which Trane's tenor mirrors Monk's pianoforte part. The CD is completed with outtakes from an octet session that joined Coltrane together with Coleman Hawkins together with an extended solo version of "Functional."
For v months inward 1957 at the New York Five Spot Cafe, the genius Thelonious Monk Quartet included avante-garde tenor saxophone purpose participant John Coltrane. Unfortunately, alone 3 songs on this CD characteristic the Quartet. Personally, I would receive got much loved to receive got heard more.
"Ruby My Dear" is a classic Monk tune where Coltrane plays an amazing saxophone on both the tune together with on his solo. The genius is Monk's soloing is acquaint inward this song, every bit Monk merely reharmonizes the melody, adding licks with his clumsy trend of playing that fits inward then perfectly with his melodies.
"Trinkle Tinkle" is my favorite functioning on this album, featuring a killer tune together with rivetting solos from both Coltrane together with Monk. But, a standout hither is bassist Wilbur Ware's solo. It is a really amazing bass solo. When monk plays the dyad during the solo, Ware makes that move with his ain solo, which is slap-up musicianship.
"Off Minor" is non the Quartet playing; it is Monk, Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, together with other horn players. This vocal has a really slap-up tune with exactly about solos that are great, but non standouts.
"Nutty" i time over again features the Quartet. The tune is i of my favorites past times Monk because of its playful nature. It does non audio similar a typical Monk piece... I ask heed to a greater extent than Ellington inward the tune than Monk. The soloing is too awesome on this song.
"Epistrophy" features the same band every bit "Off Minor", but this is my favorite version of "Epistrophy" together with it features a killer solo from Coltrane.
The terminal rails is evidently a filler with its nine together with a one-half minutes of Monk playing pianoforte solo on i of his songs called "Functional". The tune together with the soloing are both impressive on this song, but it's obvious it was exactly added becasue they didn't receive got a lot of cloth to actually brand an album of exactly Monk/Coltrane.
I recommend this album to all jazz fans. I notice it then cool when jazz geniuses play together. Ella together with Louis, Ellington together with Coltrane, Bird together with Diz, exactly to cite a few. This is your jeopardy to sense Thelonious Monk together with John Coltrane, 2 people who were non widely known every bit geniuses inward 1957, but would emerge to last exactly about of the nigh legendary jazzmen ever. There may alone last 3 songs where the Thelonious Monk Quartet features Coltrane on tenor sax, but inward them is then much inventiveness together with superb musicianship.
In the Fifties, jazz artists similar John Coltrane together with Thelonious Monk were amidst a handful of musicians who shaped the futurity of modern American music for several decades. The fact that they played together together with that their sessions at The Five Spot Cafe were recorded is nearly a miracle, since they were nether contract to dissimilar tape labels. They both seem on exactly about other tape ( Miles Davis together with the Modern Jazz Giants- Prestige LP 7150 ), but they don't play together! So this disc is the sole representation of their musical collaboration.
Ruby My Dear shows the immature 'Trane playing generally inward the upper register of his tenor sax, with much vibrato, punctuating the persuasion inward the tune. We tin ask heed right away the facility with which he deals with Monk's harmonic construction inward this poignant ballad. Ironic pianoforte solos are commonplace for Monk, but hither he is to a greater extent than straighforward, with a one-half chorus that veers away from the polysyllabic phrasing of 'Trane's tenor. Monk's comping nether Coltrane's restatement of the tune is unobtrusively perfect!
On Nutty, Monk's solo echos lines that 'Trane has drawn, showing that the conversation betwixt sax together with pianoforte is betwixt equals. The high indicate of this disc is that Monk together with 'Trane clearly utter each other's musical language. Over together with over, you lot tin ask heed the attending they pay to the phrasing of i another, such that they complement rather than compete.
Two of the tunes add together several other horns, including Coleman Hawkins, who gives forth with a taut chorus on Off Minor. The drummer hither is Art Blakey, whose affect is real dissimilar from Shadow Wilson, to a greater extent than cymbal oriented, except for the characteristic press rolls that add together exclamation points to solos.
The disc ends with an unaccompanied pianoforte solo -- Functional -- past times Monk. It's real distressing that in that location isn't a cellar inward Lower Manhattan with a box of tape from other Five Spot session waiting to last discovered. This is the variety of music I never tire of hearing.
Track Listing
1. Ruby, My Dear
2. Trinkle, Tinkle
3. Off Minor
4. Nutty
5. Epistrophy
6. Functional
Personnel
Thelonious Monk — piano
John Coltrane — tenor saxophone
Ray Copeland — trumpet on "Off Minor" together with "Epistrophy"
Gigi Gryce — alto saxophone on "Off Minor" together with "Epistrophy"
Coleman Hawkins — tenor saxophone on "Off Minor" together with "Epistrophy"
Wilbur Ware — bass
Shadow Wilson — drums on "Ruby, My Dear," "Trinkle, Tinkle," together with "Nutty"
Art Blakey — drums on "Off Minor" together with "Epistrophy"
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