Ask Me Now—First recorded July 23, 1951 (Blue Note 1591), it is considered one of Monk’s most beautiful ballads.
Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-Are (aka Bolivar Blues)—First recorded October 9, 1956 (Riverside LP12-226) The title refers to the Hotel Bolivar in Manhattan, then the home of the Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter.
Bemsha Swing—Co-written with Denzil Best, it was originally titled “Bimsha Swing” as a tribute to Best’s native land of Barbardos. Bimsha is the phonetic pronunciation of “Bimshire,” and Barbados’s nickname was “Little Bimshire.” Monk first recorded it on December 18, 1952 (Prestige LP7027).
Bip Bop (see 52nd Street Theme)
Bluehawk—This solo piano blues was only recorded once, on October 22, 1959, in San Francisco (Riverside RLP12-312).
Blue Monk—Monk recorded “Blue Monk” more than any other composition besides “’Round Midnight.” His first recording dates back to September 22, 1954 (Prestige PRLP 189 LP7027).
Blues Five Spot (aka Five Spot Blues)—First recorded July 9, 1958 (Milestone M-9124, Riverside RIV-4005/5), the title refers to the Five Spot Café, where Monk was playing when he recorded this song for the first time.
Blue Sphere—A medium-tempo, classic twelve-bar blues for solo piano, “Blue Sphere” was recorded only once, on November 15, 1971, during a session in London (Black Lion BLP30119).
Bolivar Blues (see Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues-Are).
Boo Boo’s Birthday—Recorded only once, on December 21, 1967 (Columbia CS9632), Monk wrote this song for his daughter.
Brake’s Sake—First recorded on October 15, 1955 (Signal S1201), with a quartet led by alto saxophonist Gigi Gryce.
Bright Mississippi—First recorded on May 10, 1961 (Ingo 8) at a concert in Berne, Switzerland. It is a completely original melody based loosely on the chord changes of “Sweet Georgia Brown.”
Brilliant Corners—First recorded on October 15, 1956 (Riverside RLP12-226), this composition proved notoriously difficult for Monk’s band. After twenty-five attempts, the final recorded version consisted of parts of various takes spliced together. It was recorded only one other time, on November 20, 1968, with Oliver Nelson’s Orchestra (Columbia CS9806).
Bye-Ya—First recorded on October 15, 1952, for Thelonious Monk Trio (Prestige LP 7027).
Children’s Song (aka That Old Man)—Recorded once on October 7, 1964, for Monk (Columbia CS 9091), it is a Monkishly altered version of the traditional ditty “This Old Man,” also known as “The Children’s Marching Song.”
Chordially—Recorded only once in London on November 15, 1971 (Black Lion CD760142), it is not a composition, per se, but a very musical and coherent improvised warm-up exercise on solo piano. It was not released on the original LP because it was not considered to be a song.
Coming on the Hudson—First recorded on February 25, 1958, at a session led by Johnny Griffin. The only useable take wasn’t released until after Monk died on Thelonious Monk, Blues Five Spot (Milestones M-9124). The first released version, however, was recorded live five months later after Griffin had joined Monk’s band. It appeared on Thelonious in Action (Riverside RLP 1190).
Crepuscule with Nellie—First recorded on June 25, 1957, although the first released take was recorded the following day (Monk’s Music [Riverside RLP12-242]), this beautiful ballad is unusual in that it is his only composition played straight through without improvisation.
Criss Cross—First recorded on July 23, 1951 (Blue Note 1590, 1509), critic and composer Gunther Schuller called it “the Monk masterpiece of this period.” So, enthused with “Criss Cross,” Schuller used it as the basis for his tribute to Monk titled “Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk” (1960).
Dreamland—The first recorded evidence of this old-fashioned ballad comes from a live recording at the Five Spot on July 9, 1958. Monk never copyrighted it, rarely performed it, and only recorded it once in the studio, thirteen years later. He only played it unaccompanied. Monk wasn’t satisfied with the 1958 recording and refused to grant Riverside permission to release it. Orrin Keepnews eventually put it out after after Monk died on Blues Five Spot (Milestone M-9124).
Epistrophy—One of Monk’s earliest compositions, it was co-written with drummer Kenny Clarke and went by various names; Clarke called it Fly Right or Fly Rite, it was also called Iambic Pentameter, and known, too, as simply “The Theme,” since it was used by Minton’s house band to open and close a set. It was first recorded by the Minton’s house band on June 7, 1941, but the first version by Monk appeared on his early Blue Note recordings (July 2, 1948, Blue Note 548, 1510).
Eronel—Initially composed by pianist Sadik Hakim (Argonne Thornton) and trumpeter Idrees Sulieman. Monk made a small alteration to the song, recorded it on July 23, 1951 (Blue Note 1590, 1509), and ended up taking sole composer’s credit. Many years later, T. S. Monk restored the names of both Hakim and Sulieman as original co-authors.
Evidence—First recorded on July 2, 1948 (Blue Note 549, 1509), it went by various names, notably “Justice” and “We Named It Justice.” It puns off the song on which it was loosely based, “Just You, Just Me” (by Jesse Greer and Raymond Klages). “Just Us” became “Justice” and ultimately “Evidence.”
Feeling That Way Now (see Monk’s Mood)
52nd Street Theme (aka Bip Bop and Nameless)—Monk originally copyrighted the song in 1944 as “Nameless,” although the title he eventually settled on was “Bip Bop.” It became popular on 52nd Street as a closing theme song for many groups. Music journalist and producer Leonard Feather is responsible for the title for which it has come to be known, “52nd Street Theme.” Ironically, Thelonious never recorded the song.
Five Spot Blues (see Blues Five Spot)
Five Will Get You Ten (see Two Timer)
Fly Right (see Epistrophy)
Four in One—First recorded on July 23, 1951 (Blue Note 1589), “Four in One” was known to have a particularly treacherous melody built on sixteenth note phrases (hence the name—a quarter note [one beat] divided into sixteenth notes [four beats]).
Friday the Thirteenth—First recorded for Prestige [PRLP 7075] on Friday, November 13, 1953, it refers not only to the date but the turn of events the day of the session—tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins was delayed because of a car accident and trumpeter Ray Copeland called in sick.
Functional—There are actually two different versions of the blues given the title “Functional,” which was probably just a name made up on the spot. Both takes were recorded the same day, April 16, 1957, and never recorded again. The master take was released on Thelonious Himself (Riverside RLP 12-235).
Gallop’s Gallop—First recorded on October 15, 1955, with Gigi Gryce as leader. It was released on Gryce’s LP, Nica’s Tempo (Savoy MG 12137).
Green Chimneys—Another one of Monk’s later compositions, it was first recorded on November 14, 1966, although this particular take was not released until 1996. The take that was released initially was recorded a year later, on December 14, 1967, for Underground (Columbia CS 9632). “Green Chimneys” is named after the school Barbara Monk attended at the time—a progressive private boarding school located in Putnam County, New York.
Hackensack—First recorded on May 11, 1954 (Monk [Prestige PRLP 7053]), it was also the first day Monk recorded in Rudy Van Gelder’s famous studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Part of the melody for “Hackensack” was borrowed from an arrangement of “Lady Be Good” Mary Lou Williams did for Coleman Hawkins.
Harlem Is Awful Messy—Co-written with Oran “Hot Lips” Page and Joe Guy, this jump tune (apparently with lyrics) was never recorded, but copyrighted by the trio on September 16, 1941. Unfortunately, the original lead sheet was lost.
Hornin’ In—Recorded only one time (four takes), on May 30, 1952, during his last session for Blue Note as a leader. It first appeared on Blue Note 1603.
Humph—Another early classic, “Humph” was recorded only once (three takes) during Monk’s first recording session as a leader (October 15, 1947). It first appeared on Blue Note 560.
I Mean You (aka Stickball)—First recorded in December of 1946 by Coleman Hawkins. It would be another year and a half before Monk recorded “I Mean You” (July 2, 1948 [Blue Note 1564, 1510]).
Iambic Pentameter (see Epistrophy)
Introspection (aka Playhouse)—Originally titled “Playhouse” as a tribute to Minton’s, this song was first recorded for Blue Note on October 24, 1947, but was not released until 1956.
In Walked Bud—First recorded on November 21, 1947 (Blue Note 548), it was written for Monk’s very good friend, pianist Bud Powell. It is based on the chord changes for Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.”
Jackie-ing—First recorded on June 4, 1959 (5 by Monk by 5 [Riverside RLP12-305]), Monk named this song after his niece, Jackie Smith. After 1960, “Jackie-ing” became a regular part of the Monk quartet’s live repertoire.
Let’s Call This—First recorded on November 13, 1953 and released on Monk (Prestige PRLP 7053), he only recorded it one other time: live at the Blackhawk in San Francisco on April 29, 1960 (Riverside RLP12-323).
Let’s Cool One—First recorded on May 30, 1952 (Blue Note 1602, 1511).
Light Blue—The first recorded evidence of this tune comes from a radio broadcast from Pep’s Music Lounge in Philadelphia, where Monk led a trio on February 9, 1957, but the first released version was also live, this time at the Five Spot Café on August 7, 1958. It is not a blues but rather a sixteen-bar theme played at a slow, plodding tempo built on descending chord progressions.
Little Rootie Tootie—A version of the melody was first copyrighted as “The Pump” in 1944 but was not recorded until October 15, 1952 (Prestige PRLP 7027). By this time, Monk had revised and renamed it “Little Rootie Tootie” in tribute to his son, Thelonious, Jr., who was two years old at the time. He earned the nickname “Toot” after “Little Toot the Tugboat” from a favorite Walt Disney cartoon based on a children’s book of the same name; young Thelonious learned to whistle like “Little Toot” before he learned to talk. The song has also been associated with the sound of the railroad, a common motif in blues and jazz since the early part of the century. (See Locomotive)
Locomotive—First recorded on May 11, 1954 (Prestige PRLP 7053), it is definitely in the tradition of “train” recordings going back to Count Basie, Ellington, and the train-whistle guitar blues of the early part of the twentieth century. Built on an odd 20-bar chorus and played as a medium-slow tempo, rhythmically and melodically it captures the motion of the old steam engines steadily chugging down the railroad line. Monk made only one other recording of “Locomotive” . . . twelve years later (Columbia CL2651).
Manganese (see We See)
Manhattan Moods (see Ruby, My Dear)
A Merrier Christmas—Monk composed the song during the Christmas holiday, 1959. Aside from a homemade tape, he never recorded it or performed it in public, but a copy of the original manuscript survived. The music and lyrics by Monk were published in Don Sickler, ed., The Thelonious Monk Fake Book (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard, 2002).
Misterioso (sometimes spelled Mysterioso)—was the first original twelve-bar blues Monk recorded (July 2, 1948 [Blue Note 1510]). Its distinctive melody is built on even eighth notes of ascending and descending parallel sixths.
Monk’s Dream—First recorded on October 15, 1952 (Thelonious Monk Trio [Prestige PRLP 7027]), like “Bye-Ya,” this is another strongly Caribbean “flavored” composition.
Monk’s Mood—One of Monk’s early ballads, he gave it several different titles before settling on“Monk’s Mood,” (i.e., That’s the Way I Feel Now, Feeling that Way Now, Why Do You Evade the Facts, and Be Merrier Sarah). He had originally conceived of the song with lyrics. Monk first recorded “Monk’s Mood” on November 21, 1947 (Blue Note 1565).
Monk’s Point—Recorded only twice, once as a solo piano piece (November 2, 1964 [Columbia CL2349]) and again with Oliver Nelson’s Orchestra (November 19, 1968 [Columbia CS9806]), it is a fairly straightforward, twelve-bar blues in Bb full of Monk’s signature “minor seconds” in the melody.
Nameless (see 52nd Street Theme)
North of the Sunset—Recorded only once on October 31, 1964 (Solo Monk [Columbia CS 9149]), it is a twelve-bar blues whose melody is very close to Monk’s Point.
Nutty—First recorded on September 22, 1954 (Thelonious Monk/Sonny Rollins [Prestige PRLP 7075]), “Nutty” was among Monk’s more popular tunes. Perhaps the most famous recording of it is with John Coltrane, July 1957 (Jazzland JLP[9]46).
Off Minor (aka What Now)—Was actually debuted in January of 1947, by Bud Powell, not by Monk. Monk first recorded it on October 24, 1947 (Blue Note BLP 1510). Also, Dizzy Gillespie’s big band had intended on using it in their book. It stands among Monk’s more frequently recorded tunes. It is so named probably because it is written in G minor but never resolves on the tonic.
Oska T—First recorded on December 30, 1963, during Monk’s famous Town Hall concert (Columbia CS 8964), there are many different stories in circulation explaining this title. The most common is that it is Monk’s impersonation of a bourgeois Englishman saying “ask for tea” or “ask for T.”
Pannonica—First released recording was made on October 9, 1956 (Brilliant Corners [Riverside RLP12-226]). The song was written for the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, whom Monk had met in Paris in June of 1954. This first recorded version of “Pannonica” is significant in that Monk plays both piano and celeste.
Played Twice—First recorded on June 1, 1959 (5 by Monk by 5 [Riverside RLP12-305]), the title refers to the structure of the song itself. It is a rhythmically complex, sixteen-bar AABC theme based on a series of repeated phrases or “echoes” that fall in different places in the meter.
Playhouse (see Introspection)
Portrait of an Eremite (see Reflections)
Raise Four—Recorded only once, on Valentine’s Day, 1968 (Underground [Columbia CS 9632]), Monk probably wrote this in the studio. Reminiscent of North of the Sunset and Monk’s Point, Raise Four is a basic twelve-bar blues, but built on Monk’s signature harmonies—the augmented or “raised” fourth, also known as the “flatted fifth” or the tritone.
Reflections—First recorded on December 18, 1952 (Prestige LP 7027), it was not issued until 1956. Although it is often thought of as a ballad, Monk originally played it at medium tempo. He recorded it unaccompanied in Paris in 1954 (Vogue 500-104), as Portrait of an Eremite, a title given by French producer André Francis because Monk either did not title it or Francis misunderstood him. Eremite or ermite, in French, means hermit.
Rhythm-a-ning—One of Monk’s most recorded and performed songs, it doesn’t actually get put on vinyl by Monk under this title until May 15, 1957, at a recording session led by drummer Art Blakey (Atlantic 1278). Monk certainly made the melody his own, but he borrowed the A-section from Mary Lou Williams’s arrangement of “Walking and Swinging,” recorded in 1936. The title references the fact that it is based on the chord changes to Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm,” popularly known in the bebop world as “rhythm changes.”
Round Lights—Recorded once on October 21, 1959, in San Francisco (Riverside RLP12-312), “Round Lights” is a slow, twelve-bar blues for solo piano.
’Round Midnight (aka ’Round About Midnight and Grand Finale)—Certainly the most recorded Thelonious Monk song of all time, Monk was not the first to record it. Cootie Williams’s Orchestra recorded it in 1944 and used it as its theme song. Williams also took co-composer credit for “ ’Round Midnight” despite not having contributed anything to the score besides an interlude no one uses. Bernie Hanighen added lyrics and suddenly Monk was forced to share composer credit (and royalties) with two other people. Monk first recorded it as a leader on November 21, 1947 (Blue Note 543).
Ruby, My Dear (aka Manhattan Moods)—A beautiful ballad and one of Monk’s best-known compositions, it was written originally for his then-girlfriend, Rubie Richardson.
San Francisco Holiday (aka Worry Later)—First recorded on April 28, 1960, at the Blackhawk in San Francisco (Riverside RLP12-323), Monk had given it the title “Worry Later” initially as a response to Orrin Keepnews’s question as to what to call it. Eventually, he settled on “San Francisco Holiday” since his children accompanied him on the trip, turning an out-of-town gig into a family vacation.
Shuffle Boil—First recorded with the Gigi Gryce quartet on October 15, 1955 (Signal S1201), the song was then resurrected in 1964 and, for about a year, became part of the band’s repertoire.
Sixteen—Recorded only once (two takes), at the Blue Note session of May 30, 1952, but it was not released until many years later, when Blue Note decided to issue Monk’s complete recordings.
Skippy—Named after Nellie’s sister, this song was recorded only once, on May 30, 1952 (Blue Note 1602, 1511).
Something in Blue—Recorded in London on November 15, 1971 (Black Lion BLP 30119), another classic, slow, solo blues played in Monk’s unorthodox stride piano style.
Straight, No Chaser—Recorded July 23, 1951 (Blue Note 1589, 1511), it was only the second blues Monk recorded—Misterioso being the first.
Stuffy Turkey—First recorded on January 30, 1964 (Columbia CL2184), it is Monk’s rendering of Coleman Hawkins’s and Sir Charles Thompson’s tune “Stuffy.”
Teo—First recorded on March 9, 1964 (Columbia CL2291), Teo was written for Monk’s producer at the time, Teo Macero. It is loosely based on Eddie Durham’s “Topsy.”
Thelonious—First recorded on October 15, 1947 (Blue Note 542), it is a brilliant example of Monk’s use of ostinato (a short phrase repeated throughout a composition). Based on the reiteration of a single note (Bb) played over descending chord progressions, the song has an unusual thirty-six-bar AABA structure: the second and last A-sections are ten measures long rather than the customary eight measures.
Think of One—First recorded on November 13, 1953 and released on Monk (Prestige PRLP 7053). It shares many features with Thelonious—notably, Monk’s use of ostinato. It is based on one note repeated over a stop-time rhythm in the A-section, which releases to a swinging bridge.
Trinkle Tinkle—First recorded in a trio setting on December 18, 1952 (Prestige PRLP 7027), the best known version of “Trinkle Tinkle” was made with John Coltrane in July of 1957 (Jazzland JLP[9]46).
Two Timer (aka Five Will Get You Ten)—Monk himself never recorded this composition, which he apparently wrote in the late 1950s. Unbeknownst to Monk, pianist Sonny Clark recorded it in a session led by alto saxophonist Jackie McLean in October 1961 as Five Will Get You Ten. Clark also took composer’s credit for the song. The first to record Two Timer under its original title was T. S. Monk, who had discovered the original manuscript among his father’s papers. His version appears on Monk on Monk (N2KE – 10017).
Ugly Beauty—The first known recording 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 (Underground [Columbia CS 9632]). “Ugly Beauty” is significant in that it is Monk’s only composed waltz.
Well, You Needn’t—First recorded for Blue Note (549) on October 24, 1947, but an early version was copyrighted in 1944 under the title, “You Need’ Na.”
We See (aka Manganese)—First recorded on May 11, 1954 (Prestige PRLP 7053), it was named for Monk’s niece “Weetee” but the title was lost in translation. It was mistitled Manganese when Monk recorded it in France in 1954. His producer, Andre Francis, came up with the title as a French-speaking pun on “Monk at Ease.” And, of course, it refers to the mineral.
Who Knows—Yet another Blue Note–era tune recorded once and disbanded, Who Knows required eight takes when it was recorded in an October 21, 1947 session (Blue Note 1565, BNJ61011).
Work—Recorded only once, in a trio setting on September 22, 1954 (Prestige PRLP 7075), “Work” has one of those intricate melodies similar to “Trinkle Tinkle” and “Gallop’s Gallop.”