Dies ist der erste bedeutende Auftritt von Miles Davis -- einer der produktivsten und weitsichtigsten Figuren des Jazz -- als Bandleader. Seine Reputation rührte zu diesem Zeitpunkt hauptsächlich von seiner Arbeit mit der Bop-Größe Charlie Parker her. Er übertraf alle Erwartungen, als er sich den "coolen" Stil des Arrangeurs Gil Evans, der für Claude Thornhills Band tätig war, zu eigen machte. Evans, der durch die Hinzunahme von Horn und Tuba zu Thornhills Instrumentierung ganz eigene tonale Qualitäten schuf, betonte auch den verminderten Einsatz des Vibrato sowohl bei den Rohrblattinstrumenten, als auch bei den Blechbläsern; so entstand ein trockenerer, "cooler" Sound. Zwei von Evans Arrangements, "Boblicity" und "Moon Dreams", sind auf dem Album zu finden. Mit dabei sind auch der Baritonsaxophonist Gerry Mulligan (der so herausragende Titel wie "Jeru" und "Venus de Milo" beitrug) und John Lewis, der Pianist des Modern Jazz Quartet. Heraus kam eine Session, der die Zeit, die Mode und Davis außergewöhnliche Entwicklung als Musiker nichts anhaben konnten. Wenn Sie sich mit Davis' Nonett näher auseinandersetzen wollen, versuchen Sie es mit Complete Birth of the Cool. Da finden Sie die, früher als Bootleg erhältlichen, Aufnahmen aus dem Royal Roost in New York von 1948.

(Fred Goodman, amazon)

"This historic 1957 session, beginning with Monk's favorite hymn ("Abide With Me") and ending with the composer's most affecting ballad ("Crepescule With Nellie"), functions as an overview of his career. As such, MONK'S MUSIC, Thelonious' fifth album for the Riverside label, is a shot across the bow of the hard bop movement. A cubist intro by Monk and Wilbur Ware sets the tone for an extended seven-piece rendition of the pianist's classic "Well, You Needn't," with a fiery underpinning by Art Blakey. Monk is at his angular, bluesy best, opening with Charlie Christian-like percussive accents. He grows more taciturn in the second chorus, unleashing some of his most dynamic rhythmic devices before crying out for "Coltrane, Coltrane." Monk, Ware and Blakey drive Trane relentlessly, and the tenor giant responds with taut, screaming lyricism. Monk responds to Copeland's Gillespie-ish shouts with child-like glee, then recedes as Blakey ghosts Ware's dark, driving punctuations before his own polyrhythmic explosion. Coleman Hawkins enters on the crest of a drum roll with operatic fervor, followed by a feline Gigi Gryce, a coy Monk and a final reprise of the theme. A classic moment in jazz. But MONK'S MUSIC contains numerous highlights. Contrast Hawkins' elegant, barrel-chested machismo on the ballad "Ruby, My Dear" with Trane's rendition a year later on THELONIOUS MONK WITH JOHN COLTRANE. There are two takes of "Off Minor," one of Monk's most swinging lines. Hawkins comes off the starting blocks of the master take like a pit bull, Copeland responds in kind, and Monk follows with dissonant shards of counterpoint and harmonic subversion. Coltrane draws first blood on the spooky "Epistrophy," obviously inspired by Hawkins' steely melodic focus and Monk's probing cross-rhythms; Gryce's solo illustrates his fresh approach to the alto, and Blakey's solo, with its crushing rolls and extraordinary bent tones, is a masterpiece.

"Simply stated, this remastered CD contains some of the most memorable interpretations of Monk's music ever recorded. The original cover of Monk sitting in a little red wagon reminds us that, in 1957, he was still considered eccentric by the mainstream. The presence of elder statesman Coleman Hawkins in the horn section (along with John Coltrane and Gigi Gryce), however, indicated that the transition to bebop was now complete. Versions of well-known Monk compositions "Well, You Needn't," "Epistrophy," and "Off Minor" are played with a spirited flourish, with the occasional misstep only making the overall effect even more exciting. Though not fluent, Hawkins nonetheless proves himself conversant with the new vernacular, Coltrane blows with increasingly confident brio, and Monk's playing throughout is exceptional." (Wally Shoup, Amazon)