by Lindsay Planer The material that eventually ended up on this disc has been issued under several other names as well, most notably Work. After a slight reshuffling of the running order, Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins remains as one of the most inspired collaborative efforts to feature either Monk (piano) or Rollins (tenor sax). While the pair are not highlighted on every track, when the two lead the various ensembles their combined contributions reach beyond simply being extraordinary and achieve a rare sense of musical telepathy. The five pieces were taken from a trio of sessions held between November of 1953 and September of 1954 -- with each recording date featuring a unique set of participants. These include Monk in his favorable confines of smaller combos such as the three-piece band featuring Percy Heath (bass) and Art Blakey (drums), as heard on "Nutty" as well as the percolating "Work." Both tracks incorporate the inimitable timing and advanced rhythms that had become Monk's sonic calling card, as well as Blakey's rollicking percussive contributions punctuating the pianist's left-of-center chord progressions. In the slightly expanded quartet and quintet, Monk and Rollins wield a free-boppin' interpretation of "The Way You Look Tonight" and match it with a primordial and definitive reading of "I Want to Be Happy" -- anchored by a lightly structured rhythm section including Art Taylor (drums) and Tommy Potter (bass). The opening and enticingly dissonant piece "Friday the 13th" was the first collaborative effort between Monk and Rollins. The tenor sax lines weave hypnotically amongst the pianist's strident chord-derived counterpoint. [The suitably titled Complete Prestige Recordings four-CD set offers a more thorough examination of these, as well as Monk's other sessions during this post-Blue Note/pre-Riverside era.]