Misterioso was recorded live at the legendary Five Spot Café in New York in 1958. Monk leads a fine quartet—saxophonist Johnny Griffin, bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and drummer Roy Haynes—through a set of his classic compositions. It’s gripping to hear the way Griffin’s flowing lines rub up against Monk’s harsh playing on the opener, “Nutty.” “Blues Five Spot,” a homage to the club where the group is gigging, features solos from all four band members. The group brings deep feeling to “’Round Midnight,” and Griffin is absolutely dazzling on “Evidence” where the rhythm sections swings fiercely and Monk jabs out chords in inimitable fashion. A solo piano interpretation of “Just a Gigolo,” a standard from the 1920s and the only non-original here, is quite moving. Monk, of course, totally transforms the song, making it his own. The closing track, which includes both “Bye-Ya” and “Epistrophy,” finds Monk spinning out a great solo and Haynes making an exciting statement. The band operates in a relatively smooth mode on the cut, making for a nice contrast to all the angularities they create elsewhere.