Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

Jul

15

Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

≡ Category: 1950s, Essential, Hard Bop, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

Rating:

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RELEASE

Notwithstanding the recently discovered Carnegie Hall concert, 1958’s Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane (reissued on the Jazzland Records label) has the definitive performances of these two great jazzmen together.

The difference is, in the Carnegie Hall concert, Monk and Coltrane were professionals, dutifully offering up a carefully packaged version of their music for a concert hall crowd. On the other hand, the Five Spot performances are full of discovery. Monk and Coltrane in particular are stretching, learning, figuring out musical problems on the spot. There is nothing more exhilarating than the sound of two musical geniuses learning from each other. These guys sound excited. Frankly, at the Carnegie Hall concert, they seem a bit bored to me.

The tunes themselves are wonderful, too. Trinkle Tinkle is one of the most convoluted, humorous themes Thelonious Monk ever penned. Nutty is another absolute gem.

The band totally rocks, too. Although Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane are the indisputable stars here, they aren’t the whole show. Wilbur Ware (bass) is totally keyed into the Monkian musical universe. Unlike most musicians who play Monk’s music, he is completely respectful of the master’s rhythms, which are so intrinsic to any competent interpretation of his tunes. You only have to listen to his solo on Trinkle Tinkle to hear how he honors the rhythmic displacements at the heart of the music.

Oddly enough, big band drummer Shadow Wilson does a fine job of unobtrusively rendering the spirit of Monk’s music as well. Wilson had performed for most of his career with such straight ahead big bands as Woody Herman and Count Basie, but he has no trouble adapting to Monk’s exacting standards.

Unfortunately, only a few cuts from the Five Spot gigs survived, so Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane is rounded out with alternate cuts from earlier albums. This is not much of a sacrifice however. Epistrophy benefits from the drumming of Art Blakey. If there was ever anyone attuned to Monk’s conception of rhythm, it’s Blakey. The track swings like mad. This short but sweet album ends with the piano solo Functional, which is lovely.

Considering that Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane consists of just a few cuts from the legendary Five Spot gigs, padded with alternate tracks from other albums, this release hangs together quite well. But frankly, even if it consisted of ONLY the Five Spot tracks, it would be well worth purchasing.

As J.J. Johnson comments in the original liner notes, “Since Charlie Parker, the most electrifying sound I’ve heard in contemporary jazz was Coltrane playing with Monk at the Five Spot…It was incredible, like Diz and Bird.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.