'Round Midnight

I figured since I mentioned him in an earlier post that I would post one of his most influential and one of my all time favorite jazz tunes by him. The him I refer too is Thelonious Monk and the song is called “’Round Midnight”. Quite simply one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded in my opinion, composed and played by the mad genius of jazz. This song altered not only Monks life but so many others as well, most for the better, a few for the worse. This song has been done over by everyone from Dexter Gordon to Bobby McFerrin, it became a jazz standard. If you called yourself a jazz musician then you had to play this song, it was as simple as that. It’s melancholy in its melody and breathtaking in its simplicity. Monk has been called the man who plays those notes that fall in-between the cracks and this song I think clearly demonstrates that.

When I first came across Monk I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t like his music but then what the hell did I know, I was a jazz novice. I thought I knew what there was to know about music and I thought jazz fell into that category. I was a fool. Jazz is a completely different beast, a land all it’s own with Kings and Queens and not just anyone was allowed on the property. You had to know what you were talking about and now I realize back then I really had no clue. I thought Monks music was discordant and strange. I thought his piano playing took away from the overall beauty of what the other players were doing. As I grew as an appreciator of jazz and my appetite for the music grew I gave another listen to Thelonious Sphere Monk and he blew me away.

Instead of taking away from the other musicians playing with him, he enhanced them. Instead of ruining the melody, he made it unique. There was no one sounding like Monk and no one ever would or could and he became an icon to me. The coolest cat amongst the coolest of cats, Pannonica and I agreed on that. He’s had other pieces that have moved me but none like ‘Round Midnight. It’s crazy but the more you listen to it the more it grabs you and won’t let you go. If you disagree with me then I dare you to put it on repeat and see what happens.