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At Carnegie Hall | 
| Manufacturer: BLUE NOTE
Category: Digital Music Album
Buy New: $7.99
Rating:  124 reviews
Sales Rank: 666
Genre: bop-jazz-music
Media: Music Download
Running Time: 0 Minutes
ASIN: B000TETIC8
Publication Date: September 27, 2005
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| Customer Reviews: Read 119 more reviews...
 Glad they found it August 7, 2008
Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space)
Recorded on 11/29/57, featuring Thelonious Monk - piano and compositions, John Coltrane - tenor, Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass, and Shadow Wilson - trap drums.
The hype surrounding the release of this music had some people seemingly calling it the greatest thing ever even before it had been released. It is great, I don't take anything away from it, but I don't consider it to be so much higher than Monk's Music or Complete Prestige Recordings that it knocks all that stuff down a few notches or makes them nearly irrelevant in comparison, like some people might have you believe.
Shortly after it was released I saw a contestant on Jeopardy say this was his favorite music of all time. That's taking it a bit far, I do believe. I think that the fact that this was lost and then discovered has added greatly to the way many people view it. Had this been released in 1958 or 1959 I think it'd be viewed as another set of great performances by 2 of the all-timers (which it is), rather than The Holy Grail.
The recording quality is top notch. You'll scarcely believe this is 51 years old as I sit here reviewing it. Wasn't it Miles Davis who said he hated Monk's approach to comping? I feel like I remember that from Miles: The Autobiography. This is one of those discs that proves that Miles was a bit whacked at times. For me, Monk's approach to comping is a huge part of why I love him. No matter who else is in the band, everyone sounds better when Monk is playing. That is soundly the case again here. Rhythmically, every band he was in was better and more potent when he was sculpting sound in his own way with them. The reverse is also true. Every band was a little less interesting when he stopped playing. Lots of bands can swing. Only one person made a band swing the way Monk made a band swing. Some of the stuff he does here behind/underneath Coltrane's solos is worth the price of admission alone. Monk's playing on the first Epistrophy (it's one of my all-time favorites) here probably scared people at the time, and Coltrane's entrance into the 2nd Epistrophy was as weird as tenor playing got back then.
Are you going to like or love this? Oh I bet so!
 History In The Making August 7, 2008
Christopher Michael (Oakland, CA USA)
It's hard for me to find a flaw with this CD; You can almost picture the crowd, the small bursts of applause after Coltrane or Monk wind up an amazingly energized instrumental break; Not only is the sound quality here top notch, it still maintains the feel of a small club; The recording is crisp and clear, and only helps you to enjoy the tracks even more. A great CD for those just getting into jazz, too. Beautiful, inspired music played by some of the best. I am so happy this recording was made available, and someone actually took the time to make it what it is. Brilliant.
You Should Really Buy This April 4, 2008
J. Rich
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This recently discovered gem of an album documents the beautiful interplay of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane. These two together sounded so great, so fresh. Not only is this a historic recording, it's a brilliant live performance between two jazz innovators. Anyone with ears can hear how amazing this record is and how truly inspired the musicians were.
Recorded in 1957, this recording has been sitting in the vaults at the Library Of Congress ever since. Why did it take them this long to put out?
The band is just smoking! Monk on piano, Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Shadow Wilson on drums, and Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass. This is probably one of Monk's best quartets right next to his famous 60s quartet with Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley.
If you're a Monk or Coltrane fan, don't pass this one up. Buy this right now!
Nice!! March 7, 2008
Greg Abrams (Valrico, FL USA)
Kudos go out to that engineer in the Library of Congress who rescued this gem from obscurity. What an album! Monk seems at his quirky best here, bouncing around the keyboard on Epistrophy, while Coltrane alternates on tracks between ripping it up and playing it smooth and glorious. This is a great performance from two of the best musicians in jazz history. I'm on maybe ten listens so far and it's impossible to pick a stand-out track or two. They're all excellently played and as it has already been pointed out by earlier reviewers, this show is accessible to a wide range of audiences. Highly recommended!
It's mono February 6, 2008
Arise Therefore (Orange, MA United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Thought some would like to know this disc is mono (and sounds wonderful in every way).
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