The quartet also recorded remarkable versions of Monk's "Ruby, My Dear", "Trinkle, Tinkle", and "Nutty". "Trinkle, Tinkle" is a stand-out, a stunning showcase for Coltrane's chatty cascades of notes and Monk's eyebrow-cocked melodic arcs. Jazzland rightfully longed to get a record out of this material, but the three tracks only constituted 20 minutes of music. So the label dug out an alternate take of "Functional" from Thelonious Himself and two outtakes from Monk's Music, also featuring Coltrane and Ware, as well as Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Gigi Gryce on alto, Ray Copeland on trumpet, and Art Blakey on drums.
The differences in styles from the three different sessions that make up Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane are hard to ignore, but the additional music certainly transcends its outtake status. At nearly ten minutes, a solo piano blues like "Functional" could have been little more than filler, but a master like Monk knows how to grip your attention, playing the piece as if he's constantly giving in to disruptively mischievous impulses. The two septet pieces are phenomenal, the alternate take of "Off Minor" doing a side-shuffle with a cheeky, tumbling melody.
Craft Recordings' new vinyl re-issue of Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane comes in its stereo-championing sleeve, but only the two septet tracks are in stereo. The rest is in mono. All of it sounds superb. As they did with Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Craft went the all-analog route. Again, the vinyl is flat, quiet, and well-centered, and the sleeve is thick-cardboard with an obi. All this makes for another incredibly essential jazz re-issue from Craft's Original Jazz Classics series.
