TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk share one of the most influential collaborations in jazz history. In the late 1950s, Coltrane joined Monk’s quartet at New York’s Five Spot, immersing himself in Monk’s angular melodies, unconventional harmonies, and rhythmic inventiveness.
Monk’s approach challenged Coltrane to expand his improvisational vocabulary, and he explored new scales, tension, and release in ways that would define his later style.
Coltrane, in turn, brought a fiery intensity and technical mastery that pushed Monk’s compositions into thrilling new territory. Together, they created intellectually rigorous and emotionally compelling performances, seamlessly blending structure and spontaneity.
This collaboration shaped Coltrane’s groundbreaking work on Giant Steps and beyond, and cemented Monk’s role as a guiding force in modern jazz innovation.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.