Returning from his trip to Philadelphia in mid-1957, John Coltrane accepted Thelonious Monk's offer to join his band for a six-month period. They played at the Five Spot Café in New York as a quartet, with bassist Ahmed Abdul Malik and drummer Shadow Wilson, in addition to Monk and Trane. Despite the exquisite quality of this group's music, few studio recordings were made, including the album re-released here.