The tempo jumps back up to 249 BPM for this Coltrane original, one of the most harmonically challenging pieces in the program. The unusual 38-bar AA' form and rapid chord movement demand quick thinking from the soloists, and both Lefkowitz-Brown and Feifke take three-chorus statements on tenor saxophone and piano respectively. The nearly six-minute performance is tightly structured compared to the sprawling improvisations elsewhere in the set, with the contained chorus counts reflecting the difficulty of navigating the tune's dense harmonic rhythm at high speed. Coltrane first recorded Moment's Notice for his landmark 1957 Blue Note album Blue Train, where it established his approach to complex chord progressions played at fast tempos. The tune has remained a benchmark for jazz musicians, testing their ability to hear and articulate changes that move faster than most standard repertoire. Coming after the reflective ballad reading of In a Sentimental Mood, the abrupt shift to virtuosic uptempo playing recaptures the energy of the set's first half.
