Thelonious Thursday

As perhaps my last alliterative music post title (this one's even digraphically alliterative), I give you a starting point on another "perhaps," perhaps the best composer ever in the jazz idiom, Thelonious Monk.

Monk has plenty of videos on YouTube and plenty of full tracks on last.fm.

Monk employed a lot more dissonance in his compositions than was common before he came along; and everyone may not like that, at least at first.  So I'm going to present just one video, of "perhaps" his most well-known, popular, and covered composition, "'Round Midnight."



I used to think it was a sign of extreme hipness to be able to name Monk tunes when I heard them, but I'm not a jazz DJ anymore.  Listen to a dozen or so of Monk's great and unique originals, though, and you'll see what a fun game it is to try.  I can't resist linking you to one personal latter-day favorite of mine that has stuck in my head many times; but be warned, it may stick in yours, too: "Green Chimneys".