Rhythm-A-Ning – 1963
Thelonious Monk
An uptempo version by the Monk Quartet
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Thelonious Monk was a unique musical genius, both as a pianist and as a composer.
No one else sounded like him or wrote compositions like his, at least not until long after he had passed on.
Monk was riding fairly high in 1963 when he toured Europe with his quartet which at the time featured tenor-saxophonist Charlie Rouse (who was with the pianist for ten years), bassist John Ore, and drummer Frankie Dunlop.
“Rhythm-A-Ning” was Monk’s take on “I Got Rhythm” although with a completely different and memorable melody.
This version, performed in Brussels, is taken quite fast and features creative statements by Rouse and Monk with Thelonious also dancing a bit (typically in his own fashion) during the tenor solo.
-Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald