Boyd

The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall disc was released on September 27th. Buy it here.

John Coltrane was born in Hamlet, NC in 1926. He grew up in High Point. Thelonious Monk was born in Rocky Mount, NC in 1917. What are the odds of North Carolina being able to claim these two giants as its own? The Wright Brothers are important and all, but do you think we could maybe get Monk and Trane on a special issue license plate or something. Hey N&R, how about a feature on this release? There's a ton of stories about it. Run one. Coltrane hated the segregated South and High Point because of it. We owe him a little love.

This disc is something of a lost treasure. Coltrane joined Monk's band for the last half of 1957 at the Five Spot on 3rd Avenue between 4th and 5th Streets. The recording is from a benefit concert on Friday, November 29, 1957 at Carnegie Hall. Also on the bill were Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles and Sonny Rollins. The highest priced ticket was $3.95 and that was tax exempt. The concert was broadcast on the Voice of America radio network. A tape of the event was found at the Library of Congress in February, 2005.

Of the nine tracks on the disc, eight are Monk originals. Monk is the brains of jazz. Miles Davis is the visionary. Davis could see the broader reach of the music, but Monk was depth. Part of that has to do with the piano being Monk's instrument. The piano is versatility. You're only limited by your mind. Perfect for Monk.

Listening to Monk, you're amazed at the number of dissonant notes. What's more amazing is that the dissonant notes work within the melody of the song unlike this atonal crap that folks do today which is dissonant for the sake of dissonance. Absurd. Monk would laugh at it I suspect.

Coltrane is the talent. He is the virtuoso. He expands the possibilities of music. Coltrane takes chances. Sometimes he fails. However, that's not a bad thing. It's going to happen with improvising and if you don't push the boundaries a little you'll end up a music teacher somewhere.

For a live recording the quality of this disc is incredible. I'm sure it has to do with Carnegie Hall, but it sounds like it's out of a studio. Amazing. Thelonious Monk's son, T.S. Monk, was the producer. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing he had quite a bit to do with the quality found here. He did his pop proud.

The first five songs are from the early show at 8:30. The recording kicks off with Monk's Mood which is prototypical Thelonious. It's melancholy and smoky. However, that's about it on the disc for pensive tunes. The rest are joyful, hopeful. This may have to do with proximity of the concert to Thanksgiving and the holiday spirit of New York. I've heard New York in the 50s described as paradise. I can see it. WWII was over. There were no threats to the US. Prosperity was everywhere. Commerce and business were booming in the country and especially the city. And these jazz legends were finding each other. What would it be like to be that good and at the pinnacle of musical greatness in the city and to find your peers there with the same potential as you? Everything must have seemed possible.

The second tune is Evidence. It picks up the pace a good deal and showcases Coltrane. Monk's playing behind Coltrane is sparse. He continues that theme into his solo. The bass and drums are grooving, but Monk's in control.

Next up is Crepuscule With Nellie. The slowest song of the show. It's piano dominated, a Thelonious Monk primer if you will.

The fourth track is Nutty. This is a tight song. It's probably the most upbeat recording I've heard of it. It's like with the joyousness of the occasion they couldn't help but swing after Crepuscule. This song stood no chance. Joy is rampant.

Solos abound in the final tune of the set, Epistrophy. It's a solid way to end. Monk took care to arrange his set list.

The final four tunes are from the Midnight show. Bye-ya kicks off the second set with soaring sax solos up and down the register. The piano solos are understated and a neat contrast to the frenetic sax. Cool vs. hot.

Sweet and Lovely is the next track. It's the most melancholy song behind Monk's Mood. However, Coltrane's sax is bursting. It's hard for him to keep it contained. He finally gets to swing about half way through. It's like Monk threw up and his hands and said if you can't beat him, join him. It soars from there.

The last complete song is Blue Monk. It's as hooky a jazz tune as you want in the beginning and then moves into the solos. The sax solos are arresting. The piano work is outstanding. Back to the hook to end.

The final tune is a reprise of Epistrophy. It's incomplete and only goes for about two minutes. I don't know the story behind it yet, but the ending is abrupt. I'd guess there's a technical glitch that hindered the recording. T.S. Monk and others probably thought jazz fans would appreciate having everything that was available instead of leaving it off. They were right, but it's a shame. These legends deserve a proper farewell.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the rhythm section. Ahmed Abdul-Malik is on bass. Shadow Wilson is on drums. Very together and again the quality of the recording is evident. The rhythm pulses through the speakers. You don't get that kind of accent in many live jazz recordings.

This is an instant classic. If you're a jazz fan, you have to own this disc. If you're not, buy it anyway. It'll make you a better person.