monk / trane

for lovers of vicarious thrills, nothing beats witnessing an artist in the process of becoming him / herself, even if it's from the vantage point of half a century later. to wit: thelonious monk quartet with john coltrane at carnegie hall, an incredibly clear and presence-rich live recording from the year of my genesis (1957), recently unearthed and released on shiny silver disc by venerable jazz imprint blue note. through the mists of time, we get to hear trane -- who'd been shitcanned from miles davis' band six months earlier for junk usage (and, um, perhaps to make room for sonny rollins, who'd just come out of his first "retirement"), spent the summer kicking his jones and beholding the godhead at his mom's house in philly, then leaped headlong into the craggy harmonic complexities of monk's challenging music, and never looked back -- unfurling his "sheets of sound" to the amazement (or outrage, depending) of all who heard 'em. a sound of historical import to match the sides monk unknowingly cut with charlie christian at monroe's in harlem back in '39.