"Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington" – Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington: The musicians on this album were already legends when it came out in 1955. Each of them completely reinvented how people play their instruments. Drummer Kenny Clarke: the originator of so much of modern drumming language. Bass player Oscar Pettiford: possibly the greatest bass soloist in the history of the instrument. And then there's Monk, one of the singular greatest pianists of all time. And here they are playing the music of Duke Ellington: an untouchable legend. The result is an album that brought Monk's genius to the masses. And it may just be one of his best. In this LIVE episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down this remarkable moment in music history, playing Monk's interpretations next to Duke's originals. If you've never really got Monk, this album is your gateway into his music. And if you're already a fan, you'll never hear this album the same way again. ------------------------------- Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: ------------------------------- About You'll Hear It: In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again. ------------------------------- Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love: ------------------------------- 0:00 - "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" 2:07 - You'll Hear It Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center 6:02 - The Story of Thelonious Monk 8:24 - First Official Recording: Coleman Hawkins Quartet (1944) 10:21 - Keepnews Big Idea to Bring Monk to the Masses 14:46 - "It Don't Mean a Thing": Duke's original vs. Monk's version 20:40 - Bassist Oscar Pettiford's Sophisticated Musical Language 24:10 - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald's Version 27:38 - "Sophisticated Lady" 31:44 - "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good" 35:08 - Bet You Can't Guess This Singer 39:10 - "Black and Tan Fantasy": Duke (1927) vs. Monk 42:30 - Oscar Pettiford Plays "Basso Profundo" with Duke Ellington 45:00 - "Tricotism" - Oscar Pettiford 45:55 - Kenny Clarke deep dive 47:48 - "Mood Indigo" 49:50 - "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart": Duke's original vs. Monk's version 52:30 - "Solitude" 55:00 - "Caravan": Duke's original vs. Monk's version 58:35 - Categories: Desert Island, Apex Moments, Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits 59:50 - Drummer Kenny Clarke's Brush Master Class 1:04:00 - Is This Better than Kind of Blue? 1:04:55 - What to Listen to Next

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"Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington" – Thelonious Monk is an episode from You'll Hear It - Music Advice by Peter Martin.

This episode is 66:16 long.

This episode was published on Mar 23, 2026.

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