You Should Really Buy This
This recently discovered gem of an album documents the beautiful interplay of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane. These two together sounded so great, so fresh. Not only is this a historic recording, it's a brilliant live performance between two jazz innovators. Anyone with ears can hear how amazing this record is and how truly inspired the musicians were.

Recorded in 1957, this recording has been sitting in the vaults at the Library Of Congress ever since. Why did it take them this long to put out?

The band is just smoking! Monk on piano, Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Shadow Wilson on drums, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass. This is probably one of Monk's best quartets right next to his famous 60s quartet with Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley.

If you're a Monk or Coltrane fan, don't pass this one up. Buy this right now!

Nice!!
Kudos go out to that engineer in the Library of Congress who rescued this gem from obscurity. What an album! Monk seems at his quirky best here, bouncing around the keyboard on Epistrophy, while Coltrane alternates on tracks between ripping it up and playing it smooth and glorious. This is a great performance from two of the best musicians in jazz history. I'm on maybe ten listens so far and it's impossible to pick a stand-out track or two. They're all excellently played and as it has already been pointed out by earlier reviewers, this show is accessible to a wide range of audiences. Highly recommended!

It's mono
Thought some would like to know this disc is mono (and sounds wonderful in every way).

Astounding. Period
This recording is Astounding. I have listened over and over (now on my 5th or 6th listen), and my awe grows each time. This is an instant classic, and belongs in every serious music collection.

This rates in the top 5 greatest jazz recordings of all time, right up there at the top with "Kind of Blue." It is genius.

I'm still shaking my head that it went undiscovered and unheard for almost 50 years. What a sonic treasure! Astounding.

Near-perfect reissue of a classic concert

Would you believe how long it took them to put this sucker out? Too long, that's how long. Almost fifty years! I know I pretty much said the same thing for Mingus' recent archival release, but the truth is both are must-haves. The track list is mainly made up of Monk favorites, including the eccentric "Epistrophy" (which Coltrane totally does justice to), the always beautiful "Crepscule with Nellie"; "Bye-Ya", with an otherworldly melody; and an uptempo "Evidence", as well as the somber "Monk's Mood". Like Monk, Coltrane has all kinds of distinctive nuances in his playing, which makes him a perfect fit for Monk's compositions: he contributes an incredibly creative solo to "Bye-Ya". The only part where the album falls apart is the ten-minute standard "Sweet and Lovely". Elsewhere, he again shows what he can do with a form as familiar as the blues ("Blue Monk") or just has all kinds of fun ("Nutty").