There are countless reasons why "Bags' Groove" is one of the cornerstones of modern jazz of the 1950s. One is of course the legendary recording session on Christmas Eve 1954, in which Thelonious Monk took part, as can be heard on two takes of the title track. But we must also mention the telepathic connection between Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver's piano playing, which accompanies the playing like a second lead without taking it over. In fact, Davis was very well informed in the selection of his other comrades-in-arms. The combo of Milt Jackson, Kenny Clarke and Percy Heath became a synonym for tasteful improvisations and bluesy bop lines.