Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

After being fired by Miles Davis and traveling to Philadelphia to combat his drug addiction in 1957, John Coltrane accepted an invitation from Thelonious Monk to join his quartet. They famously played at New York's Five Spot Cafe and despite the exquisite quality of the band's music, it yielded few recordings and Coltrane's tenure with Monk only lasted six months. Produced by Orrin Keepnews for his label Milestones, the album is compiled from sessions recorded during April, June, and July of 1957. It wasn't released until 1961 though, four years after the sessions took place, and after Coltrane had become a leader and jazz star in his own right.