55: “‘Round Midnight” by Thelonious Monk
September 7, 2010 Leave a comment
Here’s Thelonious Monk doing one of his most famous tunes, “‘Round Midnight.” Quality is dodgy on the video but you can really see his body language, and that right foot dancing around. It’s from a recording in Germany in 1963. The song was released 6 years earlier on Thelonious Himself.
In this video you see that Monk’s obviously got some stuff inside him that is trying to get out. He was a quirky guy to say the least, but if he had mental disorders, they were never formally recognized or diagnosed. If you’re like me, and you often find yourself contemplating the states of mind behind the music you hear, then you might click here and read the Wikipedia account of Thelonious Monk’s “later life.”
Notice how he leans into the piano at times, leaning the stool onto two legs, and at the body language he’s using to express that musical itch inside him… and just enjoy.
About Uncle Funk
Uncle Funk's Catalogue 