'Round Midnight by Thelonious Monk - How Art Blakey played it - Drum Transcription & Performance

Описание: ‘Round Midnight” is one of the most iconic, most recorded, and most harmonically distinctive ballads in the entire jazz repertoire. Written by Thelonious Monk, the composition stands at the intersection of mystery, lyricism, and modern harmony. In this video, I present a drum transcription and performance of Art Blakey’s playing on ‘Round Midnight from 1947.

This video is not a drum cover. Instead, the goal is to study Blakey’s musical language, his contributions, and his approach to supporting Monk’s ballad. The performance is therefore intended to support the transcription, not to imitate Blakey exactly, an interpretation rooted in careful listening and analysis.

“‘Round Midnight,” also known as “‘Round About Midnight,” holds a unique position in the jazz canon. Although the exact date of composition remains uncertain, most historians place its origins around 1940–41, with earlier drafts possibly coming from as early as 1936. Monk officially copyrighted the piece on September 24, 1943 under the title “I Need You So,” with early lyrics written by Thelma Murray. The first-ever recording of the tune was not by Monk himself, but by trumpeter Cootie Williams in 1944, encouraged by pianist Bud Powell. Monk recorded the tune several times during his career.

Over the decades, “‘Round Midnight” became the most-recorded jazz composition ever written by a jazz musician, performed by artists across generations and styles.

Although Art Blakey is primarily associated with high-energy drumming through the Jazz Messengers, his playing on “‘Round Midnight” highlights another side of his artistry. Blakey establishes a quiet but present pulse, built on brushes.

What you hear in this video is my interpretation based entirely on what is audible in the recording. As always, I welcome insights or alternative readings from drummers who have studied this piece as well.

If you’re interested in exploring further jazz drum transcriptions, feel free to check out the other videos on my channel. You’ll find performances based on the work of Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, and many more.

All transcriptions are available for download on my Patreon page.
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You can also find related material in my book “Jazz Standards on the Drumset”, published by Hudson Music, which includes transcriptions.
👉 https://hudsonmusic.com/product/jazz-...

Thank you for spending time with this deep dive into Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” and into the artistry of Art Blakey. My hope is that this transcription encourages you to listen more closely, study the details, and explore the expressive potential of ballad drumming.

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Song Info

Band/Artist: Thelonious Monk
Album: originally issued as 78 RPM Single Blue Note 543
Songwriter: Thelonious Monk (with contributions by Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelma Murray, Bernie Hanighen)
Release date: 1947 or 1948
Label: Blue Note Records

Photo Credits (thumbnail):
Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File URL: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
Attribution: Heinrich Klaffs, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons