I have this odd habit of combining dental appointments with CD shopping.  I know it sounds weird, but there’s actually a method to my madness.  My favourite record store – Atelier Grigorian – is on Yorkville Ave. just around the corner from my dentist.  So after blowing good money on having my teeth cleaned every three months, I wash away the fluoride taste by spending some dough on something I actually enjoy, jazz records.  It’s kind of a pain-pleasure …

9.  Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane – Nov. 29, 1957 – Carnegie Hall

The 2005 issue of these two stupendous sets from Carnegie Hall allowed listeners to at long last properly hear Monk’s legendary “Five Spot” band at its peak, making this Smithsonian discovery one of the most significant in the history of jazz.  Before getting to the music itself though, a discussion of why the Five Spot gig was so important to the careers of Monk and Coltrane …