This is the second long-player to be taken from the same August 1958
Five Spot
recordings that had yielded the similarly brilliant
Thelonious in Action
The quartet heard on these sets includes
Monk
(piano),
Johnny Griffin
(tenor sax),
Roy Haynes
(drums), and
Ahmed Abdul-Malik
(bass). Their overwhelming and instinctual capacities directly contribute to the powerful swingin' and cohesive sound they could continually reinvent. While these are
's tunes, arrangements, and band, it is
Griffin
who consistently liberates the performances. During
"Nutty,"
his flurry of activity -- which adeptly incorporates several lines from
"Surrey With the Fringe on Top"
-- has a maniacal swing that is highlighted by some definitive counterplay from both
Haynes
and
. Additionally, the transition between
is organic and seemingly psychic.
"Blues Five Spot"
-- a 12-bar
blues
homage to their current residence -- features solos from each band member.
again display the seemingly innate ability to instantly recalculate chord structures as well as transmute melodies. The show-stopping solo vamp from
hurls the rhythm along while simultaneously dropping in quotes from other tunes -- such as the theme for the animated
Popeye
cinematic shorts.
Malik
's brief solo, like his band interaction, is underrated yet precisely executed. The title track is given an exploratory performance. While
aptly seizes the reins to blow his
bop
onslaught,
' natural and subdued agility perfectly supports the extended tenor solo, creating some unique passages. Ironically, the one
solo performance,
"Just a Gigolo,"
is the only composition not by
. ~ Lindsay Planer