This is the second long-player to be taken from the same August 1958 Five Spot recordings that had yielded the similarly brilliant Thelonious in Action! The quartet heard on these sets includes
Monk (piano),
Johnny Griffin (tenor sax),
Roy Haynes (drums), and
Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass). Their overwhelming and instinctual capacities directly contribute to the powerful swingin' and cohesive sound they could continually reinvent. While these are
Monk's tunes, arrangements, and band, it is
Griffin who consistently liberates the performances. During "Nutty," his flurry of activity -- which adeptly incorporates several lines from "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" -- has a maniacal swing that is highlighted by some definitive counterplay from both
Haynes and
Monk. Additionally, the transition between
Haynes and
Monk is organic and seemingly psychic. "Blues Five Spot" -- a 12-bar blues homage to their current residence -- features solos from each band member.
Griffin and
Monk again display the seemingly innate ability to instantly recalculate chord structures as well as transmute melodies. The show-stopping solo vamp from
Griffin hurls the rhythm along while simultaneously dropping in quotes from other tunes -- such as the theme for the animated Popeye cinematic shorts.
Malik's brief solo, like his band interaction, is underrated yet precisely executed. The title track is given an exploratory performance. While
Griffin aptly seizes the reins to blow his bop onslaught, Hayes' natural and subdued agility perfectly supports the extended tenor solo, creating some unique passages. Ironically, the one
Monk solo performance, "Just a Gigolo," is the only composition not by
Monk. The CD reissue includes two bonus performances -- "'Round Midnight" and "Evidence" -- that rival the intensity of the main program. Like the bonus material offered on Thelonious in Action!, both tracks were taken from a July 1958 performance by the same musicians in the same venue. Both unedited sets are available in the 15-disc
Complete Riverside Recordings box. ~ Lindsay Planer