THELONIUS MONK
With John Coltrane (Jazzland)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Three of the tracks on this CD, "Ruby My Dear," "Trinkle, Tinkle" and "Nutty," constitute the entire studio discography of the now-legendary Thelonius Monk Quartet that held court at the Five Spot Cafe in New York City for half of 1957. That quartet, which featured Monk and Trane with bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Shadow Wilson, has been compared in importance to the first outings of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. It was a seminal period in the careers of both the pianist and the tenor man. Monk's brilliance and innovation was gaining recognition, and Coltrane was beginning to find his personal voice, developing the "sheets of sound" technique that would make him a saxophone icon.

Of the remaining cuts, "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy" were recorded earlier in the year in a septet that included Monk, Trane, and Ware along with Ray Copeland (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto), Coleman Hawkins (tenor) and Art Blakey (drums). The album closes with Monk playing unaccompanied on "Functional." Regardless of the lineups, there's a wealth of exceptional music on this disc. It's an essential part of the catalog of both Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.

For that reason, it's gratifying to see it released in this new mastering, featuring the JVC 20bit K2 Super Coding system. While it's been available in a variety of formats in the past, it's never sounded better.

Track List:

Ruby, My Dear * Trinkle, Tinkle * Off Minor * Nutty * Epistrophy * Functional

© 2000 - Shaun Dale