Misterioso - Thelonious Monk

Deep within New York’s Greenwich Village at the Five Spot Café in 1958, the Thelonious Monk Quartet recorded Misterioso. Against a backdrop of clinking glasses, chatter and palpable room energy, Monk and his band cemented their place as boundary-pushing musicians.

By the summer of 1958, Thelonious Monk was finally emerging from a decade of deep professional frustration and legal setbacks, including the unjust loss of his cabaret card, which had effectively banned him from performing in New York clubs for years. His 1957 masterpiece Brilliant Corners and a triumphant, career-defining run at the Five Spot with John Coltrane had finally elevated him from an eccentric favourite musician to a heralded star. By the time of this live recording Coltrane had moved on, replaced by the equally fast-fingered saxophonist named Johnny Griffin. Backed by the elastic rhythm section of Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and the legendary Roy Haynes on drums, the quartet booked a run at the Five Spot. The album stands out compositionally for the way the musicians respond to the audience’s enthusiasm, effectively elevating the quartet to the next level. 

The record opens with the aptly titled 'Nutty'- a lopsided yet swinging number that Monk introduces through sharp, pointillistic comping. A definitive standout is the explosive tenor saxophone solo by Johnny Griffin, who propels the rhythm with intensity to the backdrop of Haynes’ perfect rhythmic anchor, his precise and fluttering cymbal patterns mirroring Griffin’s high-energy performance.

The quartet’s dynamic range is beautifully showcased through a mid-album pairing of 'Blues Five Spot' and 'Let's Cool One'. In the former, a 12-bar blues tribute to the venue, Monk employs cluster chords and heavy pauses over Abdul-Malik’s resonant, foundational bass lines. This raw framework transitions seamlessly into the record's most relaxed and catchy composition, 'Let's Cool One', where the group allows the infectious, light theme to breathe. Johnny Griffin tempers his usual high-speed fireworks for a smoother, narrative-driven solo leaving ample room for Monk to dance playfully behind him. Griffin is pushed even further into the limelight when the rest of the band drops out entirely, allowing him to explore a lyrical tangent during his solo, a nice segue before Monk embarks on cascading runs. 

Spanning over 11 minutes, this extended rendition of 'In Walked Bud' serves as a quintessential tribute to bebop trailblazer Bud Powell, capturing the very essence of Monk’s artistry. Piano and tenor saxophone deliver the recognizable descending theme in tight unison as the rhythm section provides high-energy backing. When Monk ceases playing, Griffin’s solo scales new peaks of intensity; the Chicago-born saxophonist weaves a tapestry of bluesy inflections, double-time runs and soaring altissimo cries, all accompanied by the bandleader’s audible exclamations of delight.

Two of Monk’s absolute signature masterpieces, 'Misterioso' and 'Evidence' (included on later reissues of the Five Spot sessions). The track 'Misterioso' is constructed around a distinctive, ascending and descending sequence of major and minor sixths, a deceptively hard melody made to sound easy by the quartet. Monk's piano lines are pointillistic, superimposing clashing blue notes right next to one another. This rhythmic tightrope act expands dramatically on 'Evidence', the melody almost encouraging a cat and mouse game between Monk and Griffin. Monk scatters sharp, isolated chords across a landscape of pure silence, daring the listener to find the beat. Monk didn't just want a timekeeper in his rhythm section; he wanted an active drummer who could navigate his sporadic accents and sudden shifts into pure silence. Roy Haynes answered that challenge, becoming a driving force in the band. 

Misterioso offers a raw and unfiltered live monument to Thelonious Monk’s genius, capturing his music exactly as it was meant to be experienced. Monk transforms complex harmonic riddles and jagged blues lines into pure, swinging momentum. Following the Misterioso sessions, Monk vaulted from an underground legend into an international icon. He signed with major label Columbia Records, formed his most enduring quartet featuring saxophonist Charlie Rouse, and became one of the few jazz musicians ever to grace the cover of Time magazine in 1964.