Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane [Japan] (1999)

About this title: Much of the music on this two-LP set is quite essential for any serious jazz library (all of it is also included in Monk's giant 15-CD box set The Complete Riverside Recordings). Although Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane played together for several months in 1957, until the discovery of a live tape (which has been issued on Blue Note), the music on this two-fer (which includes several tracks with a larger group that also features Coleman Hawkins, "Monk's Mood" by a trio with bassist Wilbur Ware, and three outstanding tracks with a quartet) was all that existed of their historic collaboration ... read more

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.