Album of the Day: Thelonius Monk with John Coltrane - The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings

A nearly complete set of recordings of, obviously, Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane, including alternate takes and versions, that were scattered about on a few different albums. It manages to retain a hard bop tone, despite being for the most part piano-heavy rather than focusing on the saxophone, if for no other reason than it is impossible for Coltrane to be truly subdued, no matter who he is playing with. 'Monk's Mood' starts off with a beautifully mellow piano piece by Monk, and Coltrane saunters into the song and layers over it with his saxophone. The whole track has a dusty wine cellar feel to it, like you're relaxing at the end of a long day. At the same time, it feels like there is something missing, each note feels like it is covering up an empty space, but I don't know what would fill it. 'Crepuscule with Nellie' is a little bit more up-tempo, and piano-heavy, and still retains that smoky-jazz-club feel to it, in part because of the drummer. There are five versions included in the first disc. 'Blues for Tomorrow' incorporates swing elements, and is dominated by Coltrane's saxophone, followed by a quick drum and bass duet, an all-percussion session while the, bassist plucks away in the background, culminating in a masterful saxophone and trumpet melody. 'Off Minor' (a fourth and fifth take) continues the up-tempo feel of 'Blues for Tomorrow,' but is a much more concerted piece, and borders on big-band territory. The second disc starts out with a short reverent piece, 'Abide with Me,' then moves to the swing-heavy 'Epistrophy,' which is, in my opinion, the strongest song of the collection. Coltrane flies from tempo to tempo like there's no tomorrow, the drummer is in his own world, and the whole song just has a perfected feel to it. 'Well You Needn't' is just as lively, featuring an outstanding saxophone and drum tandem. 'Ruby My Dear' is a more mellow song, with versions featuring both Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane. The collection ends with 'Nutty' and 'Trinkle, Tinkle,' both upbeat songs with heavy bass influences.