“Hit it! Don’t be afraid to hit it— loud, you dig? Hit it loud.” -Thelonious Monk <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkSbbiQeGpU” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Category: Thelonious Monk
Tune of the moment: Misterioso
Thelonious Monk’s Misterioso is a strangely beguiling little tune: It’s a slow blues, with a melody of running even 8th notes. That doesn’t sound hard. Except somewhere in the playing of it, it always goes […]
MD interview: Ben Riley on Monk, more
Here are some excerpts from a Ben Riley interview I hadn’t read before- I didn’t know who he was when the September, 1986 issue of Modern Drummer came out. It’s a nice companion piece to […]
Very occasional quote of the day: Monk
It’s vague to me how I was thinking. – Thelonious Monk, in Art Taylor’s Notes and Tones
Transcription: Roy Haynes – In Walked Bud
To make up for the exceptionally light posting this week, and to follow up the Roy Haynes transcription round-up, here’s an extra special solo from In Walked Bud, on Thelonious Monk’s Misterioso, which I first […]
Roy Haynes transcription round-up
I thought I’d follow up my Elvin Jones transcription round-up with one of the other great jazz masters, Roy Haynes. I’m a little surprised to find I’ve only put up two things of his, his […]
What Monk was trying to do
I’ll be on light posting for a few days while I complete my taxes, and get charts together for an upcoming recording session (Ornette Coleman tunes; with my great Seattle guys Rich Cole and Paul […]
Frankie Dunlop on Monk
UPDATE: Scott Fish has posted some of his interview recordings of Dunlop, and they are hilarious. Much about playing with Monk in this interview with Ben Riley from 1986 as well. Do check out my Dunlop […]
Circumstances of a Monk record
From Jazz Wax, here’s a nice piece about Thelonious Monk’s Genius of Modern Music Vol. 2, recorded for Blue Note in 1952. The album included the first recordings of the horrifying Skippy, the underplayed Hornin’ […]
Transcription: Frankie Dunlop – Rhythm-a-ning
Finally had time to finish this up- this has been languishing in the archives in dire need of proofing for some time. Here’s the the complete drum part for Rhythm-a-ning, by Frankie Dunlop, from Thelonious […]
Straight, No Chaser – two interpretations
You know, I think I’m kind of a Monk guy? Here’s something I did for a student some time ago- a comparison of Ben Riley’s and Art Taylor’s approach to playing on the head of […]