23 December 2005 CD review DIG THIS SCOOP By Don Albert Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane

Santa Claus must be a jazz enthusiast. He has made sure that one of the most important discoveries in jazz history has taken place just in time for Christmas. In 1957, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane played in a concert at Carnegie Hall. It was recorded by radio station Voice Of America (VOA), which regularly broadcasts jazz programmes worldwide. In the mid-1960s, VOA was overflowing with tapes of recordings it had made, so the Library of Congress acquired the collection. Included was the Carnegie Hall concert, and only recently were the tapes rediscovered Then came the red tape. Unless the musicians - or their estates - agreed, VOA would not allow music from its archives to be sold. Other legal clearances were also needed. Fortunately the two artists' sons, drummer T S Monk and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, realising the importance of the recording, gave their consent. And now history and sheer magic join hands on a Blue Note CD titled Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall (0946 3 35174 2). The opening duet of Monk and Coltrane on "Monk's mood" is bliss, the two playing at their most melodic. At first it's difficult to believe it's Monk, who treats the melody with delicate respect. And when Trane joins in, Monk fills in with almost Art Tatum-esque arpeggios, as the saxophonist reveals his intimate side, playing with a full tone and leaving out his characteristic "sheets of sound". Coltrane had kicked his drug habit, which got him sacked from Miles Davis's band. Here, he sounds healthy, fresh and full of creative ideas. Monk's music is not easy to interpret, but the saxman sounds perfectly at home. On "Sweet and lovely", for instance, his double-time playing has never sounded smoother. Monk is quirky and probing throughout, and breathtaking on "Bye-ya". Credit must also go to the contributions made by bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Shadow Wilson. In all, this CD is filled with 51 minutes of music from two jazz giants at the top of their game, both individually and together. This is the jazz equivalent of a major archaeological find.