For years, jazz experts have known about a priceless recording of a 1957 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City, featuring some of the biggest names in jazz, including a rare performance of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane. The Voice of America taped the concert for Willis Conover's worldwide jazz program, but it was later filed away and forgotten. So what ever happened to these much sought-after tapes?

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It was known as the 'Holy Grail of Jazz,' a collection of tapes that contained one of the most important performances in modern music. The benefit concert from November 29, 1957, was an all-star event starring Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins and Chet Baker with the Zoot Sims Quartet. But it was the hour-long performance of the Thelonious Monk Quartet with saxophonist John Coltrane that fans were longing to hear, especially the Library of Congress' recording lab supervisor Larry Appelbaum.

Earlier this year, Appelaum's wish came true when he accidentally found the tapes while digitizing Voice of America audio materials that had come to the Library for preservation. He says finding the tapes was an important discovery, mainly because of their historical significance.

'The tapes are physically in good condition, they were recorded well, and the performance is so terrific,' he said. 'And that is what I think is exciting everyone the most, is that this is one of the most important groups in post-war jazz.'

Thelonious Monk Quartet at Carnegie Hall on LP Double vinyl LP pressing. Taken from the notable Thanksgiving Jazz benefit concert in 1957 (which also featured the likes of Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie), Blue Note/UMe reissue this classic Thelonious Monk Quartet recording on double vinyl to commemorate the album's 60th anniversary. Sep 27, 2005 At Carnegie Hall, an Album by Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane. Released 27 September 2005 on Blue Note (catalog no. 0946 3 35173 2 5; CD). Genres: Hard Bop, Bebop. Featured peformers: Thelonious Monk (piano), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Ahmed Abdul-Malik (bass), Shadow Wilson (drums), T. Monk (producer), Michael Cuscuna (producer), Bruce Lundvall (executive producer), Harry. On Nov 29, 1957, The T. Monk Quartet with a still flexing-his-wings John Coltrane performed at Carnegie Hall, a 'Thanksgiving Jazz' benefit concert for the Morningside Community Center in Harlem. Other acts performing included: Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Sonny Rollins, and Chet Baker with Zoot Sims.

Levine: I remember the '50s in jazz as being a great period. Would you say that that was a great period for both Coltrane and Monk?

‎In early 2005, an engineer at the Library of Congress accidentally discovered, in an unmarked box, the recording of Thelonious Monk's and John Coltrane's performance at a 1957 benefit concert at Carnegie Hall. Long considered one of the most important musical meetings in modern jazz, Monk's and Colt. Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall From the smoothest lines to the screeching, racing notes that resonate like a flock of geese overhead, John Coltrane’s sax has always mesmerized listeners.

Appelbaum: I would. Monk and Coltrane working together. Monk was active once again and experiencing a new level of creativity. Coltrane was really blossoming. He had put his health problems behind him and he was really breaking free of a lot of the conventions of be-bop and past styles. So the two of them worked extremely well together.

Levine: Is this just the beginning of maybe a run of other discoveries? Do you think there are more gems to be found?

Appelbaum: There are certainly more gems. I don't know if it's more gems like this. There's very little that would be considered a 'holy grail,' at least for jazz collectors. But yes, there's a lot of terrific material here, and there's always more.

Cyberlink bd & 3d advisor for mac os. Blue Note Records was the top bidder for the tapes and recently released for the first time on CD, Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall.

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