An Online Reviewer, Michael Stack, Writes:

"Recently it seems stunning jazz recordings have been unearthed every few months-- this piece, Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane from Carnegie Hall on November 29, 1957, is another such piece.

A bit of historical context for the those unaware-- in 1957, Coltrane was thrown out of Miles Davis' band for heroin use. He managed to kick his habit and ended up joining Thelonious Monk for study and an extended residency at the Five Spot, then a club in Manhattan. Listeners testify that Trane was pretty out of place at the beginning, but that by the end of their time there (several months, several nights a week), Trane was on fire, pushing himself and the leader. These shows were sadly totally undocumented, the only evidence of the two of them working together (prior to this release) was a brief studio session (three tunes, if I recall) from 1957 and a low fidelity recording from 1958 where Coltrane sat in with Monk's band. In late November of 1957, towards the end of his residency at the Five Spot, Monk was invited to perform at an all-star benefit fundraiser at Carnegie Hall. This performance was recorded by something called the Voice of America and recently unearthed in the Library of Congress archives by recording lab supervisor Larry Appelbaum and prepared for release by producer Michael Cuscuna (famous for his restorative work on Blue Note, Impulse! and his own Mosaic label) and Monk's son, drummer T.S. Monk.

Monk's performance consisted of two brief sets (each around 25 minutes, although the second one cuts off early) with his working quartet from the Five Spot gig-- the leader on piano, Coltrane on tenor sax, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums. It is obvious to any listener that this group had been playing together for quite a while, given the near-psychic level of interaction between the group. As a rule, Monk introduces the themes and the rest of the band joins in-- it seems Monk was viewing his performances as continual by this point as there is no pause between pieces.

The first set begins with a meditative solo piano on "Monk's Mood" that eventually evolves into a duet with Trane on an almost bleak sax as the leader switches to an accompaniment, responding to Coltrane's performance. Coltrane switches to the theme and the rest of the band joins. The remainder of the set finds the quartet in full flight, mostly meditative and tight-- particular highlights include the stunning "Crepuscule with Nellie" (performed without any solo space), Monk's unpredictable nonlinear theme variations solo on "Nutty" and downright stunning cymbal work from Wilson on "Epistrophy" (curiously enough, he doesn't repeat this stunning pattern on the second set).

The second set has that late show feel to it-- it's quite a bit looser, with the band stretching out and feels less arranged, providing a nice contrast to the first set. Trane in particular is on fire and exploratory, his soloing on "Sweet and Lovely" (the only standard on the set) takes off when Monk drops out and Abdul-Malik and Wilson move to double time, but as fierce as he is here, he really cuts loose on "Blue Monk", exploring the piece and pushing it to its limits, including what sounds as a reach towards the sort of free playing he'd do a decade later. Monk seems equally inspired by Trane on "Blue Monk", his own soloing is exciting and equally fiery. It's just a pity that "Epistrophy" cuts off early and we don't get the full set.

A concern with any "found recording" is always going to be sound-- the '58 Five Spot show sounds horrible, this one is a revelation. Professionally recorded, it is crisp, clean, well balanced, with good bass and even response, further enhancing its value. The liner notes include several essays providing historical context, notes on the performance (both individual and in general) and on the finding of these recordings that make for an interesting read (and provide great source material for background information for reviews....).

Bottom line-- this is a great find, a spectacular show, and it sounds great. Jazz fans will probably already have earmarked this for purchase, more casual listeners may find this equally engaging, it's quite a show. Highly recommended."