Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane is a 1961 studio album by the American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk issued on Jazzland Records, a subsidiary of Riverside Records. It consists of material recorded in 1957, when Monk worked extensively with John Coltrane, but was only issued after Coltrane had become a prominent bandleader and composer himself.
The original LP was assembled by the label with material from three different sessions. The impetus for the album was the discovery of three usable studio tracks recorded by the Thelonious Monk Quartet with Coltrane in July 1957, at the beginning of the band's six-month residency at the Five Spot Café in Greenwich Village.Ira Gitler, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane Jazzland JCD 46-2, 2000, liner notes. To round out the release, producer Orrin Keepnews included two outtakes from the June 1957 sessions for Monk's Music and one outtake from Thelonious Himself recorded in April 1957.Gitler, liner notes.
The album was reissued on CD in 2000 by Fantasy Records; a take of "Monk's Mood" from the Thelonious Himself sessions was added as a bonus track. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.Grammy Hall of Fame
Track listing All compositions by Thelonious Monk, except "Epistrophy" by Monk and Kenny Clarke.
Side one “Ruby, My Dear” – 6:17 “Trinkle, Tinkle” – 6:37 “Off Minor [take 4]” – 5:10
Side two “Nutty” – 6:35 “Epistrophy” – 3:07 “Functional [take 1]” – 9:46
CD reissue bonus track "Monk's Mood" – 7:52
Sessions Track 1, 2 and 4 recorded July 1957 Tracks 3 and 5 recorded June 26, 1957 (Monk's Music session outtakes) Track 6 and 7 recorded April 12, 1957 (Thelonious Himself session outtakes)
Personnel Thelonious Monk – piano John Coltrane – tenor saxophone (tracks 1–5, 7) Ray Copeland – trumpet (tracks 3 and 5) Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone (tracks 3 and 5) Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone (tracks 3 and 5) Wilbur Ware – double bass (tracks 1–5, 7) Shadow Wilson – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4) Art Blakey – drums (tracks 3 and 5)
References