Home » Jazz Articles » Radio & Podcasts » The Genius of Modern Music, Thelonious Monk on Blue Note...
The Genius of Modern Music, Thelonious Monk on Blue Note (1947 - 1950)
Click the play button to listen
In 1940, Minton's Playhouse on West 118th Street hired drummer Kenny Clarke as a bandleader. For the house band, Clarke hired trumpeter Joe Guy, bassist Nick Fenton, and an eccentric pianist named Thelonious Monk. Although Monk recorded with Coleman Hawkins in 1944, he didn't record with his own group until 1947. Despite these kind of gaps that occur throughout his discography, he is competitive with Duke Ellington for the most recorded composer in jazz. The Blue Note recordings of 1947-1952 include many of the most recognized of his compositions.
Playlist
- Host Intro 0:00
- Thelonious Monk Sextet. "Thelonious" from Norton Jazz Recordings (Norton) 3:35
- Host speaks 6:33
- Thelonious Monk Trio. "Nice Work if You Can Get It (alternate)" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 (Blue Note) 8:14
- Thelonious Monk Trio. "Ruby My Dear" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 11:14
- Thelonious Monk Trio. "Well, You Needn't" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 14:20
- Thelonious Monk Trio. "Off Minor" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 17:15
- Host speaks 20:13
- Thelonious Monk Trio. "April in Paris" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 21:14
- Host speaks 24:31
- Thelonious Monk Quintet. "In Walked Bud" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 26:21
- Thelonious Monk Quintet. "Monk's Mood" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 (Blue Note) 29:15
- Thelonious Monk Quintet. "Round Midnight" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 32:20
- Host speaks 35:29
- Thelonious Monk Quartet. "Evidence" from Milt Jackson and The Thelonious Monk Quintet (Blue Note) 36:11
- Thelonious Monk Quartet. "Misterioso" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 38:43
- Thelonious Monk Quartet. "Epistrophy" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 42:03
- Thelonious Monk Quartet. "I Mean You" from Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (Blue Note) 45:08
- Host speaks 47:52
- Charlie Parker -Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. "Bloomdido" from Diz and Bird (Verve) 50:30
- Charlie Parker—Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. "Relaxin' With Lee" from Diz and Bird (Verve) 53:55
- Host Outro 56:12
About Thelonious Monk
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
