In the late 1950s Mulligan had a big following and was freelancing between labels, recording for Columbia and Verve among others. Monk, on the other hand, was just building a reputation and looking for variety in his Riverside output, while simultaneously running his quartet featuring Coltrane (who was contractually barred from recording with him). Deciding to replace Trane with the very different Mulligan, a Monk fan since at least three years earlier, must have seemed a great idea and so it proved. Apart from a bit of difficulty picking up the exact thematic shapes (especially on the four alternate takes issued later), Mulligan enjoys himself and his improvising style fits well with Monk’s backing, recalling again the pianist’s roots in the swing era. While the unexpected aspect of the pairing seems less remarkable now than then, Monk’s solos are well up to expectations and, as well as his own five tunes, he’s heard blowing on ‘Decidedly’, Mulligan’s thinly disguised take-off on ‘Undecided’. The one bonus track from the Newport 1955 set, famous for Miles’s ‘comeback’, sees the album’s stars having a ball, with ‘Now’s The Time’ as an excuse.