Ask Me Now (1951). Thelonious Monk

Image by oddsock via Flickr

I've been listening to more and more Thelonious Monk lately and in the middle of trying to decide if the almost simplistic Ask Me Now is as good as I think it may be, I ran across this salient synopsis of Monk's contemporary relevance by Gabriel Solis:

These include the singularity of Monk's approach to time, his characteristic use of developmental logic in his soloing, the unified quality of his individual performances, his use of humor or playfulness, and, finally, the way in which his music in toto represents an entire self-created world.

Not surprisingly, I have yet to find another musician's performance of Ask Me Now that is remotely as good as Monk's.

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ask me now: monk on lala. joe henderson on youtube.

Comments

[Michael Leddy]

There's at least one terrific version by Steve Lacy and Roswell Rudd. I think it first appeared on a compilation Monk-tribute LP (the tribute series that had versions of Kurt Weill pieces by various hands).

Have you heard "Monk's Mood" from the Carnegie Hall recording? Wow!

[Peter Ricci]

Dear Robert,

Nice entry on Monk! He always had that ability to improve on a composition, no matter how immaculate it may have seemed.

My name is Peter Ricci, and I am a college and writer who is currently contributing to an upstart online magazine called ‘Too Shy to Stop,’ which focuses on culture and the arts.

I came across your entry, as it would turn out, while conducting research for an essay on Monk! I specifically look at the history and characteristics behind Monk, and argue that he personified all of the grandest traditions of jazz as an American art form.

So, check it out here (http://tooshytostop.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-obtuse-brilliance-of-thelonious-monk/) and leave a comment! I think you’ll enjoy it, and I always love to read input from readers.

Sincerely,

Peter Ricci