"Let's Cool One" was recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe on August 7, 1958, appearing on Thelonious Monk's album Misterioso. This Monk composition in E-flat with a 32-bar AABA form features an extraordinary extended solo from Johnny Griffin, who burns through five choruses of tenor saxophone with the ferocious energy and technical command that earned him his reputation as one of the most exciting improvisers in jazz. Griffin's marathon solo builds with relentless momentum, his bebop-rooted vocabulary enriched by blues feeling and rhythmic adventure. Monk follows with two piano choruses that provide a stark contrast, his sparse, angular approach a deliberate counterpoint to Griffin's torrential saxophone. The juxtaposition of these two radically different improvisational personalities is one of the great pleasures of the Misterioso album, demonstrating how Monk's compositions could inspire vastly different responses from different musical temperaments. Ahmed Abdul-Malik and Roy Haynes hold the rhythm section together with unwavering swing, adapting their accompaniment to the contrasting demands of each soloist. This live recording captures the creative electricity of Monk's Five Spot residency.
