This is a list of compositions by jazz musician

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

0-9

52nd Street Theme

contrafact A contrafact is a musical work based on a prior work. The term comes from classical music and has only since the 1940s been applied to jazz, where it is still not standard. In classical music, contrafacts have been used as early as the parody m ...

based loosely on

rhythm changes The Rhythm changes is a common 32-Bar (music), bar jazz chord progression derived from George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The progression is in Thirty-two-bar form, AABA form, with each A section based on repetitions of the ubiquitous I–vi–ii� ...

in C, and was copyrighted by Monk under the title "Nameless" in April 1944. The tune was also called "Bip Bop" by Monk, and he claims that the tune's latter title was the origin of the genre-defining name

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

. It quickly became popular as an opening and closing tune on the clubs on 52nd Street on

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

where

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

and

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

played. It was first recorded by

's sextet on February 22, 1946, under the title "52nd Street Theme".

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

claims he gave the latter title.

A

Ask Me Now

A tonally ambiguous ballad in D first recorded on July 23, 1951, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It also appears on '' 5 by Monk by 5'', and '' Solo Monk''.

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

wrote lyrics to the tune and called it ”How I Wish”; it was first recorded by

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

on ''

Carmen Sings Monk ''Carmen Sings Monk'' is a 1990 studio album by the American jazz singer Carmen McRae, focusing exclusively on the songs composed by Thelonious Monk. It was one of the last recordings released in her lifetime. McRae was accompanied by Clifford ...

''. Mark Murphy sings a version (the lyric is credited to

Ben Sidran Ben Hirsh Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American jazz and rock keyboardist, producer, label owner, and music writer. Early in his career he was a member of the Steve Miller Band and is the father of Grammy-nominated musician, composer and ...

) on his album ''Kerouac, Then and Now''.

B

Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are

A riff-based blues in B first recorded on October 9, 1956, for '' Brilliant Corners''. The title references

Pannonica de Koenigswarter Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica 'Nica' de Koenigswarter (''née'' Rothschild; 10 December 1913 – 30 November 1988) was a British-born jazz patron, photographer and writer. A leading patron of bebop, she was a member of the Rothschild family. ...

's troubles with her stay at the Bolivar Hotel, where her parties would disturb the management of the hotel. It also appears on the posthumous Monk album, ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960'', and on '' Monk's Dream''; on the latter release, it was retitled "Bolivar Blues" or "Blue Bolivar Blues". Live versions also appear from the albums recorded in 1964 at the It Club and the

Jazz Workshop The Jazz Workshop was a jazz music nightclub in San Francisco, located in North Beach at 473 Broadway Street. Numerous live recordings were made there, during its heyday in the 1960s. As of 2016, the space is occupied by a bar and music venue cal ...

Bemsha Swing

A tune Monk wrote with

Denzil Best Denzil DaCosta Best (April 27, 1917 – May 24, 1965) was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Best was born in New York City, into a musi ...

and was first recorded on December 18, 1952, for the album ''

Thelonious Monk Trio ''Thelonious Monk Trio'' is an album by American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. The album features his earliest recordings for Prestige Records, performing as a soloist with a rhythm section of bassist Gary Mapp (originally credited as ...

''. The tune is also known as "Bimsha Swing", because the word ''Bemsha'' is a re-spelling of "Bimshire" – a colloquial nickname for

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, where Denzil Best's parents were born. It is a 16-bar tune with an AABA-form. The 4-bar A-section is essentially in C major but borrows tones from the parallel C minor scale, and is transposed up a fourth to create the B section of the form. The tune also appears on ''

Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants ''Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants'' (PRLP 7150) is an album by Miles Davis, released on Prestige Records in 1959. Most of the material comes from a session on December 24, 1954, featuring Thelonious Monk and Milt Jackson, and had been pre ...

'' and '' Brilliant Corners'', featuring

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

with a timpani drum added to his set. This inspired Monk's son "Toot" Monk to play the drums. Live versions appear on the albums recorded in ''

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

'', ''

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

'', '' It Club'', ''

'', and the album '' Misterioso (Recorded on Tour)''.

Bluehawk

A blues in B first recorded on October 21, 1959, for '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco''. Monk wrote the tune after a visit from Guy Warren in 1958, the melody is borrowed from Warren's "The Talking Drum Looks Ahead" from the album ''Themes for African Drums''. The title is a tribute to Monk's friend

Coleman Hawkins Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first ...

, and the Black Hawk club in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

Blue Monk

A blues in B written in the studio and first recorded on September 22, 1954, for the album ''

'', and is by far the tune Monk recorded the most. The melody is partly borrowed from Charlie Shavers' "Pastel Blue". Versions of the tune appear on '' Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk'', and '' Monk's Blues''. The tune appears on almost every single live album by Monk, including the albums from

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

, Five Spot,

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

, Newport (1958, 1959, 1963), It Club, and at the

Abbey Lincoln Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist and songwriter. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering dee ...

wrote lyrics to the tune around 1961, and it was recorded by Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake on their album '' The Newest Sound Around'', and by

as "Monkery's the Blues" on the album ''

''. The tune was the opening track on the 1959 album '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco'', his third

solo album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...

, recorded in 1959.

Blue Sphere

Probably one of the last official known compositions by Monk recorded on November 15, 1971, for ''The London Collection: Volume One'', released by the Black Lion label. This is the only recording of this composition. The melody is based on blues riffs that are loosely crafted, and was largely improvised. Monk demonstrated his artistry in stride piano in this recording.

Blues Five Spot

A blues in B dedicated to the

Five Spot Café The Five Spot Café was a jazz club located at 5 Cooper Square (1956–1962) in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City, between the Greenwich Village, East and West Village. In 1962, it moved to 2 St. Marks Place until closing in 1967. Its fr ...

, and appears on '' Misterioso'', '' Monk's Dream'', and ''

Live at the It Club ''Live at the It Club'' is a Thelonious Monk album released posthumously by Columbia Records. Recorded October 31 and November 1, 1964, at the "It" Club in Los Angeles, California. The album features Monk's quartet—with Charlie Rouse on ten ...

''. It is also known as "Five Spot Blues".

Boo Boo's Birthday

A 21-bar tune in AAB-form. Monk recorded it only once, on December 21, 1967, for the album '' Underground''. "Boo Boo" was the nickname of Monk's daughter, Barbara Evelyn Monk (September 3, 1953–January 10, 1984).

Brake's Sake

A tune that was recorded only twice, and the form is different on both versions. It was first recorded by

Gigi Gryce Gigi Gryce (born George General Grice Jr.; November 28, 1925 – March 17, 1983), later in life changing his name to Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. While his performing ...

with Monk as a sideman on October 15, 1955, for Gryce's album '' Nica's Tempo'', and the second version was recorded on February 10, 1964, for the album '' It's Monk's Time''. Both versions have the AABA form, where the last A-section has an extended coda. The version from 1955 has 10 bars in the last A-section, while the version from 1964 has 12 bars, accordingly.

Bright Mississippi

of " Sweet Georgia Brown" that Monk developed during the European tour in 1961, where the melody consists of staccato notes that outline the harmony. It was first recorded on November 1, 1962, for '' Monk's Dream''. Live versions also appear from the albums recorded at the It Club and the

Brilliant Corners

A notoriously difficult 22-bar tune in ABA-form (8-7-7 bars respectively), where the head is first played slowly and then in double-time. The choruses in the solos also follow this form. The tune was first recorded on October 15, 1956, for the album '' Brilliant Corners''. The session ended with 25 incomplete takes, and producer Orrin Keepnews edited the final version by splicing together material from the takes. The tune was later recorded in a simplified version on November 20, 1968, for '' Monk's Blues'' with

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signi ...

's orchestra.

Bye-Ya

A 32-bar Latin-tune in AABA-form that was originally titled "Playhouse" (as a dedication to Minton's, where Monk was the house pianist in the early 1940s with

Kenny Clarke Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride ...

). It was originally supposed to be arranged by

Gil Fuller Walter Gilbert "Gil" Fuller (April 14, 1920, Los Angeles, California – May 26, 1994, San Diego, California) was an American jazz arranger. He is no relation to the jazz trumpeter and vocalist Walter "Rosetta" Fuller. In the 1930s and 1940s, F ...

, when Monk was the pianist in

's big band, but wasn't recorded until October 15, 1952, for the album ''

'' under the name "Bye-Ya". Producer Bob Weinstock wanted to call the tune "Go", but because of the Latin influence, Weinstock asked for a Spanish translation, thus "Go" became "Vaya", and "Vaya" became "Bye-Ya". The tune was later recorded for '' Monk's Dream'', and live versions appear on the albums recorded at

, Five Spot, and

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

C

Children's Song

A 16-bar (AA-form) composition in E, derived from the traditional children's counting song " This Old Man". Monk recorded it only once, on October 7, 1964, for the album ''

Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

''. The original stereo LP referred to the song as “That Old Man” on both the jacket and the label, but the mono LP listed the song as “That Old Man” on the jacket and “Children's Song” on the label, as have later reissues of the stereo LP. A 1984 European LP listed it as simply "Children's Song", but it has generally been known as “Children's Song (That Old Man)” since the 2002 CD issue.

Chordially

An improvised, abstract, and conceptual composition by Monk, recorded on November 15, 1971, and released as a bonus track in Black Lion's ''The London Collection: Volume Three''.

Coming on the Hudson

A 19-bar tune in AAB-form that Monk wrote in 1958 during his stay at

's house at

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...

, where the house had a good view of the

Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...

. It was first recorded on February 25, 1958, with

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American Swing music, swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948� ...

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

and

Pepper Adams Park Frederick "Pepper" Adams III (October 8, 1930 – September 10, 1986) was an American jazz baritone saxophonist and composer. He composed 42 pieces, was the leader on eighteen albums spanning 28 years, and participated in 600 sessions as a s ...

with Monk's rhythm section. This performance currently appears on Monk's '' Complete Riverside Recordings'', though it first appeared on the 1984 rarities compilation ''Blues Five Spot''. A live version appears on the 1958 album '' Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe'', and it was later recorded in studio for the album '' Criss-Cross''.

Crepuscule with Nellie

Monk composed the tune throughout May 1957. The tune was originally titled "Twilight with Nellie", but

suggested instead to use the French word for twilight, which is ''crepuscule''. The tune was first recorded with Monk's septet for '' Monk's Music''; on that album (and on many of its reissues), "Crepuscule" was spelled "Crepescule" (3 ''es, 1 ''u''). The tune also appears on ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960'', '' Criss-Cross''., and on the live albums from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Criss-Cross

"Criss-Cross" (originally titled "Sailor Cap") was one Monk's first compositions, he wrote early in 1944 as response to a collaborative project between Monk,

Mary Lou Williams Mary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs; May 8, 1910 – May 28, 1981) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and ...

, and

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. A pioneer in the development of bebop and its associated contributions to jazz theory,Grove Powell's application of complex phrasing to ...

. It was first recorded on July 23, 1951, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions, and was later featured on the 1964 album of the same name. On the first version, the tune is in a standard 32-bar AABA-form, but in the last version, the two last bars of the B-section are dropped. The tune inspired

Gunther Schuller Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician. Biography and works Early years Schuller was born in Queens, New York City ...

to compose variations on ''Criss-Cross'', which premiered on May 17, 1960, and was later released on '' Jazz Abstractions'', featuring

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, violinist, and composer. He is best known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Ja ...

and

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...

as soloists.

E

Epistrophy

"Epistrophy" (initially called "Fly Rite" or "

Iambic pentameter Iambic pentameter ( ) is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama. The term describes the rhythm, or meter, established by the words in each line. Meter is measured in small groups of syllables called feet. "Iambi ...

") was co-written with

, and was copyrighted on June 2, 1941, and was the first tune copyrighted by Monk. It is a relatively atonal 32-bar tune in ABCB-form, though the key center is C. The main melodic theme was composed by Clarke, after experimenting with fingerings on the ukulele, and the chords were written by Monk. The word "

epistrophe Epistrophe (, "return") is the repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences. It is also known as epiphora and occasionally as antistrophe. It is a figure of speech and the counterpart of anaphora. I ...

" is defined by

Merriam-Webster Merriam-Webster, Incorporated is an list of companies of the United States by state, American company that publishes reference work, reference books and is mostly known for Webster's Dictionary, its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary pub ...

as "the repetition of a word or expression at the end of successive phrases, clauses, sentences, or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic effect". The tune appears on almost every single live album by Monk, as it was the closing tune of each set from Monk's days at

Minton's Playhouse Minton's Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. It is a registered trademark of Housing and Services, Inc. a New York City nonprofit provider ...

onwards. The first recording was by

Cootie Williams Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams (July 10, 1911 – September 15, 1985) was an American jazz, jump blues, and rhythm and blues trumpeter. Biography Born in Mobile, Alabama, Williams began his professional career at the age of 14 with the Yo ...

on April 1, 1942, and it was later recorded by Clarke's band on September 5, 1946. It was not recorded by Monk before July 2, 1948, for the '' Wizard of the Vibes'' sessions, featuring

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with ...

. It was later recorded for '' Monk's Music'' and was an outtake from the '' It's Monk's Time'' sessions.

Eronel

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form originally composed by Sadik Hakim, co-written with

Idrees Sulieman Idrees Sulieman, born Leonard Graham (August 7, 1923 – July 23, 2002), was an American bop and hard bop trumpeter. Biography Graham was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, later changing his name to Idrees Sulieman, after conve ...

. It was recorded on July 23, 1951, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. However, Monk repeatedly changed notes and the chords to the tune and added the B-section, eventually making it "his" tune. Hakim originally wrote the tune in dedication to an old flame of Hakim, Lenore Gordon (''Eronel'' is ''Lenore'' backwards). When the recording was released, it was only credited to Monk – Hakim and Sulieman did not receive the composer's credit until Monk's death. It later appeared on ''

Piano Solo The piano is often used to provide harmonic accompaniment to a voice or other instrument. However, solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canoni ...

'', and on '' Criss-Cross''.

Evidence

A contrafact of "

Just You, Just Me "Just You, Just Me" is a song from the 1929 musical film ''Marianne'', composed by Jesse Greer with lyrics by Raymond Klages. It was introduced by Marion Davies and Lawrence Gray. The song has had many revisions after its first appearance and h ...

". The title is a corruption from "Just You, Just Me" to "Just Us" to "Justice" to the final title "Evidence". The tune was first recorded on July 2, 1948, for the '' Wizard of the Vibes'' sessions, featuring

, later on ''

'', and on '' Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk''. The melody and chord progression of the tune continued to evolve, finally gelling into a "definitive" form in later 1957, as heard on at Carnegie Hall and '' Thelonious in Action''. Live versions appear on the albums recorded at

, Five Spot, Blackhawk,

, It Club and the

F

Four in One

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form notorious for its many 16th notes. A contrafact of "Five Foot Two", It was first recorded on July 23, 1951, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It later appeared on the live albums recorded at the Blackhawk and at the

Friday the 13th

A 4-bar tune built on an embellished

Andalusian cadence The Andalusian cadence (diatonic phrygian tetrachord) is a term adopted from flamenco music for a chord progression comprising four chords descending stepwise: iv–III–II–I progression with respect to the Phrygian mode or i–VII–VI–V pr ...

in G. The tune was written and recorded in the studio on November 13, 1953. The tune was partly inspired by trumpeter

Ray Copeland Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...

having the flu on the recording date, and horn player

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mis ...

stepped in instead. The tune was later released on the album '' Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins''. The tune later appeared on the live album '' The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall''.

Functional

A 12-bar blues recorded solo on April 16, 1957, for the album ''

Thelonious Himself ''Thelonious Himself'' is a studio album by Thelonious Monk released in 1957 by Riverside Records. It was Monk's fourth album for the label. The album features Monk playing solo piano, except for the final track, "Monk's Mood", which features Joh ...

''. The second take was released on ''Thelonious Himself'', while the first take was later used in compiling the album '' Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane''.

G

Gallop's Gallop

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form with a notoriously difficult melody. It was first recorded by

with Monk as a sideman on October 15, 1955, for Gryce's album '' Nica's Tempo'', and later appears on the live album ''

''.

Green Chimneys

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that Monk wrote between December 1965–January 1966 in dedication to his children who went to school at that point. It was first recorded on November 14, 1966, for the album '' Straight, No Chaser'', and later appears on the album '' Underground''.

H

Hackensack

A contrafact of ” Oh, Lady Be Good!” that was first "stolen" by

and was first recorded on December 15, 1944, by her band.

later claimed ownership of the tune and recorded it under the name "Rifftide" and recorded it February 23, 1945. It was not recorded by Monk until May 11, 1954, and appears on the album ''

''. It quickly became a staple of Monk's repertoire, and appears on the albums ''

'', and on '' Criss-Cross''. It appears on the live albums recorded at Newport with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

and

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

(1955),

, and at the

Hornin' In

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form in D that was recorded by Monk only once, on May 30, 1952, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions.

Humph

A contrafact of ”

I Got Rhythm "I Got Rhythm" is a piece composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and published in 1930, which became a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as the " rhythm changes", is the foundation for many other popular jazz tunes su ...

” that was the first tune Monk recorded as a leader. During the head, the first four bars of the A-section are replaced with cycling dominants, that start on F⁷, before landing on the tonic B in bar 5. The cycling dominants became a cliché that Monk would always play on other

Rhythm changes The Rhythm changes is a common 32-Bar (music), bar jazz chord progression derived from George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The progression is in Thirty-two-bar form, AABA form, with each A section based on repetitions of the ubiquitous I–vi–ii� ...

tunes. The tune was recorded by Monk only once, on October 15, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions.

I

I Mean You

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, first recorded by

in December 1946. The first recording by Monk was on July 2, 1948, for the '' Wizard of the Vibes'' sessions, featuring

. The tune later appears on '' Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk'', '' Mulligan Meets Monk'', and on '' 5 by Monk by 5''. Live versions of the tune appear on the albums recorded at the Five Spot, in

and at the

. Both

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan ( ), is an American singer. Known as the " Queen of Funk", her career has spanned more than five decades beginning in the early 1970s as the lead vocalist of ...

and

have written lyrics to tune. Khan's lyrics first appears on the album '' Echoes of an Era''. Hendricks re-titled the tune ”You Know Who”, and was first recorded by

for the album ''

''.

In Walked Bud

"In Walked Bud" was based loosely on the

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural, or simply changes) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from ...

of " Blue Skies", an early

pop standard Traditional pop (also known as vocal pop or pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...

composed in 1927 by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

. Monk composed "In Walked Bud" as a tribute to friend and fellow jazz pianist

, and many biographies of Powell have since cited it as Monk's gratitude for Powell's actions in his defense during a police raid of the Savoy Ballroom in 1945. The tune was first recorded by Monk on November 21, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It was later also recorded for the album '' Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk''. Live versions of the tune appear on the live albums ''Discovery!'', '' Misterioso'' and on '' The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall''. The last recording by Monk was for his 1968 record '' Underground'', featuring lyrics and vocals by

. The song has since been covered by numerous artists. "In Walked Bud"] at ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

''. Retrieved July 3, 2009.

Introspection

A 36-bar tune in AABA-form (8-8-8-12). It that was first recorded on October 24, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It was also later recorded for the album '' Solo Monk''. The tune is notable for its radical chord progressions and form, as it is borderline atonal. In most jazz standards, the A-section is used to establish the key, while the B-section has tonal excursions, but in "Introspection", the roles of the sections are reversed. The A-section doesn't land on a stable chord until bar 6 where it lands on D^Δ7, but the B-section establishes D^Δ7 as a new key center. The last extended A-section finally lands on D^Δ7 in the 4-bar coda.

J

Jackie-ing

A 16-bar tune in the B

lydian mode The modern Lydian mode is a seven-tone musical scale formed from a rising pattern of pitches comprising three whole tones, a semitone, two more whole tones, and a final semitone. : Because of the importance of the major scale in modern m ...

, that Monk named after his niece, Jackie Smith. It was first recorded on June 4, 1959, for the album '' 5 by Monk by 5''. The tune's march-like feeling made it the opening theme for many of Monk's concerts. It also appears on the live albums from

and

L

Let's Call This

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that's very similar to the changes to " Honeysuckle Rose". It was first recorded on November 13, 1953, and appears on the album ''

''. It later appears on the live album recorded at the Blackhawk.

Margo Guryan Margo Guryan (September 20, 1937 – November 8, 2021) was an American singer-songwriter. As a songwriter, her work was first recorded in 1958, although it was for her 1960s song " Sunday Mornin', a hit for both Spanky and Our Gang and Oliver, ...

also wrote lyrics for the tune.

Let's Cool One

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that was first recorded on May 30, 1952, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It was later recorded with

for the album '' In Orbit'', and appears on '' Misterioso'', and '' Monk's Blues''.

also wrote lyrics for the tune.

Light Blue

An 8-bar tune that was composed in 1957, and first appears on the live album '' Thelonious in Action''. It later appears on the albums ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960'' and on ''

Big Band and Quartet in Concert ''Big Band and Quartet in Concert'' is a live album by American jazz musician Thelonious Monk, released in March 1964 by Columbia Records. Recorded at the Lincoln Center's Philharmonic Hall on December 30, 1963, it features a large ensemble with ...

''.

Little Rootie Tootie

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form in A, that was written around 1943–1944, and was originally called "The Pump". It was later retitled "Little Rootie Tootie" in dedication to Monk's son, "Toot" Monk, and first recorded on October 15, 1952, for the album ''

''. It was later recorded with Monk's big band for the album The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall, where Monk's solo from the first played as a shout chorus by the horns in the big band. It later appears on '' Monk's Blues''.

Locomotive

A 20-bar tune in ABA-form (8–8–4) that was first recorded on May 11, 1954, and appears on the album ''

''. It later appears on the album '' Straight, No Chaser''.

M

A Merrier Christmas

A Christmas tune that Monk composed in the holiday of 1959 with lyrics, that was never recorded. It was supposed to be recorded for the '' Underground'' sessions, but was never ultimately recorded due to Monk's failing health. It was first released as a piano version by Benny Green and a vocal version by

Dianne Reeves Dianne Elizabeth Reeves (born October 23, 1956) is an American jazz singer, who has won five Grammy Awards for her albums. Early life and education Dianne Reeves was born in Detroit, Michigan, into a musical family. Her father sang, her mothe ...

in Blue Note's Christmas album "Yule Struttin': A Blue Note Christmas" in 1990.

Misterioso

"Misterioso" was the first 12-bar blues that Monk wrote, and it was first recorded on July 2, 1948, for the '' Wizard of the Vibes'' sessions, featuring

. The tune later appears on '' Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2'', '' Misterioso'', ''

'', ''

'' and ''

Live at the Jazz Workshop ''Live at the Jazz Workshop'' is a live album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, that was recorded at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. The album was recorded on November 3 and 4, 1964, and released by Columbia Records in 1982. Release history ...

''.

Monk's Dream

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, and was first recorded October 15, 1952, and written around the same time. It first appeared on the album ''

''. It later appears on the album '' Monk's Dream''.

later wrote lyrics to the tune, and retitled it "Man, That Was a Dream", and was first recorded by

for the album ''

''.

Monk's Mood

A ballad in AABA-form that was written around 1943–1944, and went through many working titles, including "Feeling That Way Now", and "Be Merrier Sarah", until Monk settled for the title "Monk's Mood". It was first recorded on October 24, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. The tune later appears on ''

'', featuring

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

and

Wilbur Ware Wilbur Bernard Ware (September 8, 1923 – September 9, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 674. Oxford University Press He was a regular bassist for ...

. It later appears on the live albums from

and

Monk's Point

A 12-bar blues in B, described as Monk's "homage to the bent note", it first appeared on '' Solo Monk'', then a second (and final) time on '' Monk's Blues'' with the Oliver Nelson Orchestra.

N

North of the Sunset

A 12-bar blues in B built on a short riff similar to one later used in "Raise Four". Monk recorded it only once, in the afternoon session on October 31, 1964, for the album '' Solo Monk''. The recording session was in Los Angeles during a West Coast tour by the quartet, suggesting that the title probably refers to Sunset Boulevard.

Nutty

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form in B that written in the studio and first recorded on September 22, 1954, for the album ''

''. The tune is structured like "Bemsha Swing" and " Good Bait", in that in their respective B-sections, that A-part is transposed to the subdominant to create B-section. The tune was recorded again July 1957 for the album '' Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane''. Live versions of the tune appear on the albums from

and the Five Spot.

also wrote lyrics for the tune.

O

Off Minor

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that is notoriously difficult to play. The tune was first titled "What Now", and part of the A-section was borrowed from Elmo Hope. It was first recorded on January 10, 1947, by

and appears on the album '' Bud Powell Trio''. Monk later recorded the tune the same year on October 24, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. The tune later appears on the albums ''

'', '' Monk's Music'', '' The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall'', and on '' Monk in France''.

Oska T.

An 8-bar tune in A that only appears on the album ''

''. Two unrelated explanations have been reported regarding the origin of the title. The plausible explanation is that the title is a reference to the radio personality and jazz broadcaster Oscar Treadwell (after whom

named a different jazz composition, "An Oscar for Treadwell"). The other explanation is that title is a corruption of the

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

pronunciation of "ask for tea".

Ethan Iverson Ethan Iverson (born February 11, 1973) is a pianist, composer, and critic best known for his work in the avant-garde jazz trio The Bad Plus with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. Biography Iverson was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. ...

speculates that this tune was Monk's response to the

modal jazz Modal jazz is jazz that makes use of musical modes, often modulating among them to accompany the chords instead of relying on one tonal center used across the piece. Though exerting influence to the present, modal jazz was most popular in th ...

movement, as the tune mostly lies on one chord.

P

Pannonica

A 33-bar tune in AABA-form (8-8-8-9) that is one of Monk's most popular ballads. The tune was written around the summer of 1956, and was dedicated to

. The tune was first recorded on October 9, 1956, for '' Brilliant Corners''. It later appears on Monk's albums ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960'', '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco'', '' Criss-Cross'', '' Monk in Tokyo'', and ''

''.

wrote lyrics to tune and called it ”Little Butterfly”, and was first recorded by

on ''

''.

Played Twice

A 16-bar tune in AABA-form that was first recorded on June 1, 1959, for the album '' 5 by Monk by 5''. The B-section rhythmically displaces the concluding phrase from the preceding A-section. It later appears on the album ''

''.

R

Raise Four

A 12-bar blues in B featuring a one-bar riff built on the interval of a raised fourth (or augmented fourth), also known as a flatted fifth or tritone. Monk recorded it only once, on February 14, 1968, for the album '' Underground''.

Reflections (aka 'Portrait of an ermite')

A popular ballad in AABA-form that was first recorded on December 18, 1952, for the album ''

''. The title was given by

Ira Gitler Ira Gitler (December 18, 1928 – February 23, 2019) was an American jazz historian and journalist. The co-author of ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'' with Leonard Feather—the most recent edition appeared in 1999—he wrote hundreds of ...

, who was the producer for the session. The tune also appears on the albums ''

'' as "Portrait of an Ermite", '' Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2'', '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco'', and on '' Monk's Blues''. According to

Gary Giddins Gary Giddins (born 1948) is an American jazz critic and author. He wrote for ''The Village Voice'' from 1973; his "Weather Bird" column ended in 2003. In 1986, Gary Giddins and John Lewis created the American Jazz Orchestra which presented conc ...

it is "classic, paradoxical Monk, beautiful and memorable yet a minefield of odd intervals, each essential to its bricks-and-mortar structure". In the 1980s,

wrote lyrics for the song for

, who released it on her album ''

'' under the name "Looking Back".

sang the tune on her 2003 album '' A Little Moonlight''.

Rhythm-A-Ning

A tune based on

in B, and one of Monk's staple tunes. "Rhythm-A-Ning" was first recorded on May 15, 1957, for the album '' Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk'', and later appears on '' Mulligan Meets Monk'', ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960'', and on '' Criss-Cross''. It also appears on almost every single live album recorded by Monk since 1958, starting with Thelonious in Action. The A section is found in multiple recordings of Monk's friends on recordings from the 1930s to 1940s. The theme is found in

' arrangement of ''Walking and Swinging '' (with Andy Kirk, 1936), and on bootleg recordings of

Charlie Christian Charles Henry Christian (July 29, 1916 – March 2, 1942) was an American swing and jazz guitarist. He was among the first electric guitarists and was a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as ...

's tune "Meet Dr. Christian", recorded at

. Monk and Williams were close friends.

added lyrics to the tune, retitling it ''Listen to Monk'' and it appears on

's album ''

''. The piece has since appeared on dozens of Monk's releases, as well as being covered by musicians such as

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" an ...

Kenny Barron Kenneth Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist and composer who has appeared on hundreds of recordings as leader and sideman and is considered one of the most influential mainstream jazz pianists since the bebop era. Early life ...

, and

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

Round Lights

An improvised blues in B recorded in October 1959 for '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco''. The album's liner notes claim the title is "in honor of" the "ancient, ornate chandeliers" in Fugazi Hall, where the album was recorded.

'Round Midnight

"'Round Midnight" is Monk's most recorded tune, and the world's most recorded standard by a jazz musician. The tune was first recorded on August 22, 1944, by

, after his pianist and Monk's good friend,

, persuaded Williams to record the tune. The song was first recorded by Monk on November 21, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions (titled as "'Round About Midnight"), and appears on many of his live albums.

Ruby, My Dear

A 32-bar ballad in AABA-form that Monk composed around 1945, and first titled "Manhattan Moods". The tune was later retitled "Ruby, My Dear" after Rubie Richardson, Monk's first love and his older sister Marion's best friend. It was however not for nostalgic reasons, but because the first phrase of the tune fit with the new title. It was first recorded on October 24, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. The tune later appears on '' Monk's Music'', '' Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane'', '' Thelonious Alone in San Francisco'', and on '' Solo Monk''. Lyrics were written by Sally Swisher and the song was recorded in 1988 by

as part of her studio album ''

''. For copyright reasons, the song was renamed "Dear Ruby".

S

San Francisco Holiday

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that Monk composed on New Year's Eve 1959. The tune was initially titled "Classified Information", but he opted to retitle it as "Worry Later", when recording it for the first time on April 29, 1960, for the album '' Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk''. When it appeared on the album '' Monk in Italy'', it finally appeared under the title "San Francisco Holiday", which Monk named after his family's long stay in

also wrote lyrics for the tune.

Shuffle Boil

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, with an unusual bass ostinato. The title is a corruption of "shuffle ball", which is a move commonly used in

tap dance Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

. It was first recorded by

with Monk as a sideman on October 15, 1955, for Gryce's album '' Nica's Tempo'', and later appears on '' It's Monk's Time''.

Sixteen

A 16-bar tune in AABA-form, and the title is from the tune's number of bars. Its only recording was done May 30, 1952, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions, but was not released officially until

Mosaic Records Mosaic Records is an American jazz record company and label established in 1982 by Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie. It produces limited-edition box sets. The sets recordings are leased from the major record companies, usually for a three- or f ...

released their compilation of Monk's

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

sessions.

Six in One

An improvised blues recorded for the soundtrack of French movie "Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960", directed by

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, s ...

. Untitled at the time of the recording, Monk would later record a refined version in his San Francisco session called "Round Lights".

Skippy

A 32-bar tune in ABAC-form, and is based entirely on cycling dominant chords (or their

tritone substitution The tritone substitution is a common chord substitution found in both jazz and classical music. Where jazz is concerned, it was the precursor to more complex substitution patterns like Coltrane changes. Tritone substitutions are sometimes used ...

s). The tune's tonality is completely hidden until the last 4 bars clearly establish A-major. The tune was named after Nellie Monk's sister, whose real name was Evelyn. Its only recording was done on May 30, 1952, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions, but it has since the 2000s became a popular tune, with many cover versions. It is commonly agreed that the "Skippy"'s changes are based on Monk's reharmonization of " Tea for Two" (which he would later record on '' The Unique Thelonious Monk'', and on '' Criss-Cross'',) but

argues that Monk composed "Skippy", then applied the changes to "Tea for Two".

Something in Blue

A 12-bar blues in B. Monk recorded it only once, at the marathon

Black Lion Records Black Lion Records was a British jazz record company and record label, label based in London, England. Alan Bates founded Black Lion Records in 1968. The label had two series of releases, one for British jazz musicians and one for internation ...

session of November 15, 1971.

Straight, No Chaser

12-bar blues The twelve-bar blues (or blues changes) is one of the most prominent chord progressions in popular music. The blues progression has a distinctive form in lyrics, phrase, chord structure, and duration. In its basic form, it is predominantly base ...

in B which, as in "

Blue Monk This is a list of compositions by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. 0-9 52nd Street Theme A contrafact based loosely on rhythm changes in C, and was copyrighted by Monk under the title "Nameless" in April 1944. The tune was also called "Bip Bop" b ...

", makes creative use of chromatics in the melody. It was first recorded July 23, 1951, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions, and later appears on '' Mulligan Meets Monk'', '' 5 by Monk by 5'', '' Straight, No Chaser'', and on '' Monk's Blues''. Live versions appear on the albums recorded in

, It Club and at the

. Miles Davis recorded a version on his ''

Milestones A milestone is a marker of distance along roads. Milestone may also refer to: Measurements *Milestone (project management), metaphorically, markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project *Software release life cycle state, s ...

'' album, in which the tune is played in F rather than B. It has been recorded numerous times by Monk and others and is one of Monk's most covered songs.Straight No Chaser
a
jazzstandards.com
Retrieved April 24, 2009. Lyrics were written by Sally Swisher and the song was recorded in 1988 by

as part of her studio album ''

''. For copyright reasons, the song was renamed "Get It Straight". Music educator Mark C. Gridley wrote about Monk's composition style: "Monk employed simple compositional devices with very original results. His 'Straight, No Chaser' involves basically only one idea played again and again, each time in a different part of the measure and with a different ending."

Stuffy Turkey

A 32-bar tune in D major that was recorded by Monk only once, on February 10, 1964, for the album '' It's Monk's Time''. The A-section is based on

, and is borrowed from

's tune "Stuffy".

T

Teo

A 24-bar tune in B minor in ABA-form. "Teo" was written as a tribute to Monk's, and many other of Columbia's jazz musicians', producer,

Teo Macero Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz record producer, saxophonist, and composer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' ''Bitches Brew'' and Dave B ...

. The changes are based on the standard " Topsy". The tune was first recorded March 9, 1964, and first appeared on the album ''

''.

Thelonious

A 36-bar tune in AABA-form (8-10-8-10) in B major. The tune was first recorded on October 15, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It was later recorded for the album '' Underground'', and live versions appear on the albums '' The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall'', and ''

''. The A-section is based on a riff that Monk used very often, dating back to his days as the house pianist at

. The riff contains only the pitches B and A, insisting on the tonic, and is reharmonized with descending chords.

Think of One

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form. The tune was first recorded on November 13, 1953, and appears on the album ''

'', and later appears on the album '' Criss-Cross''. The tune is very similar in conception to "Thelonious", as the melody insists the tonic, with albeit more unexpected changes than in "Thelonious".

Trinkle, Tinkle

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that is notorious for its difficult melody. It was first recorded on December 18, 1952, for the album ''

''. Monk recorded a quartet arrangement that was released on the album '' Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane'', a big band arrangement that was released on the album '' Monk's Blues'', and a solo piano arrangement that was released on the album ''The Man I Love''. There are two stories about the origin of the title, the first explains that producer

may have misheard when Monk said the title of the tune in studio – Gitler reports that Monk may have said "Trinkle, Tinkle, like a star" instead of "Twinkle, Twinkle, like a star". It is also believed that the title is a corruption of the term "tickler", which was what the old stride pianists used to call themselves.

Two Timer

A tune that was never recorded by Monk, but was first recorded by

Jackie McLean John Lenwood McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their death. Bio ...

for his album '' A Fickle Sonance'', under the title "Five Will Get You Ten". The tune was credited to

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

, who was struggling with

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

addiction at the time, and was a frequent visitor to Monk's friend,

's house. It is believed that since Monk kept most of his sheet music in Pannonica's house, Clark stole the lead sheet and claimed as his own, in hopes of the tune being a hit. The original lead sheet was later discovered around the 1990s, and was first recorded by Monk's son for his album ''Monk on Monk''.

U

Ugly Beauty

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form. “The first known recording of Ugly Beauty took place on November 14, 1967, for a taped television broadcast. Exactly one month later, Monk's quartet made their only studio recording of this song (Columbia CS9632)" on December 14, 1967, for the album '' Underground''. It was Monk's drummer

Ben Riley Benjamin Alexander Riley Jr. (July 17, 1933 – November 18, 2017) was an American jazz drummer known for his work with Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, and as a member of the group Sp ...

's suggestion to play the tune as a waltz, and "Ugly Beauty" is therefore significant for being Monk's only waltz. Mike Ferro later wrote lyrics to the tune, and the song was recorded in 1988 by

as part of her studio album ''

''. For copyright reasons, the song was renamed "Still We Dream".

W

We See

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, and was first recorded on May 11, 1954, for the album ''

''. It later appears on the albums ''

'' under the name "Manganèse", and on '' Straight, No Chaser''. The tune was initially called "Weetee", which was the nickname for Monk's cousin, Evelyn.

also wrote lyrics for the tune.

Well, You Needn't

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form that is one of Monk's most popular tunes, and is famous for its chromatically ascending/descending chords. The tune was earlier known as "You Need 'Na". The tune was first recorded on October 24, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions. It later appears on ''

'', '' Monk's Music'', and on ''Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960''. Live versions appear on most of Monk's live albums. The title was inspired by jazz singer Charles Beamon. Monk wrote a song and told Beamon he was going to name it after him, to which Beamon replied, "Well, you need not". There are three widely played versions of the tune; *Monk's version uses an F pedal in the A section, with an obbligato figure in addition to the melody. The line rises chromatically from C for each bar, then descends when it has reached E. The bridge starts on D, then ascends and descends chromatically to C, the dominant. *Monk would in later versions play alternatingly F and G when comping, but keep the bridge as it was. *

's version of the tune is comparatively more popular. Davis alters the A section's main motif, and tritone substitutes Monk's changes during the bridge. Therefore, Miles Davis starts the melody of the bridge a half-step too low. He later recorded a contrafact of the tune, called "I Didn't", and appears on the album '' The Musings of Miles''. Mike Ferro later wrote lyrics to the tune, and the song was recorded in 1988 by

as part of her studio album ''

''. For copyright reasons, the song was renamed "It's Over Now".

Who Knows?

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, and is notable for its difficult melody. Monk recorded it only once, on November 21, 1947, for the '' Genius of Modern Music'' sessions.

Work

A 32-bar tune in AABA-form, and is also notable for its difficult melody, chromatic changes, and obbligato bass line. Monk recorded it only once, on September 22, 1954, and appears on the album '' Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins''.

References

Literature

* * {{Thelonious Monk Monk, Thelonius