Round Midnight: How many, which one?

[mgraham333]

How many versions of 'Round Midnight do you have?

Which one(s) do you like the most? What are some of the more interesting versions?

I was surprised to find that I had close to 20 different versions.

I think my favorite...at least right now is on Monk's, At The Blackhawk.

Grant Green's Green Street and Lee Kontiz's Alone Together provide some nice variations. Kenny Dorham and of course Miles Davis (arr. Gil Evans) are right up there.

Interesting are the 20 minutes of a work in progress on Thelonious Himself.

[pryan]

There's a great version on the Jazz Messengers disc MEET YOU AT THE JAZZ CORNER..., with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter up front. Kind of a strange cadenza by Morgan, where, in the middle of it, Blakey tells him to "Play your instrument!"

[Rooster_Ties]

Two of the more interesting versions I can think of (which I have) are...

Charles Tolliver's "Live in Tokyo" (1973) -- kind of an uptempo verison, at least twice as fast as many of the typical versions.

Sun Ra's "Sunrise in Different Dimensions" (1980) -- a very uptempo, almost dance-like verison, and easily the "happiest" verison of this tune I've ever heard - probably by a mile.

Edited April 28, 2003 by Rooster_Ties

[A Lark Ascending]

My favourite:

Gordon, Dexter: Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard [76]

One of the first 'proper' jazz records I bought.

I really like the Robert Wyatt version too.

[vibes]

This is one of my favorite jazz standards. Here's a few versions I really like:

Stan Getz "Cool Velvet" version

Gerry Mulligan/Thelonious Monk "Mulligan Meets Monk" version

Johnny Smith version (there's at least one in the Mosaic that I really like, but can't remember which session it comes from)

The Mulligan/Monk version might be my favorite. That song alone makes the whole album worth it.

[SEK]

Monk did it best, but I've always also been moved by the cool drama of the version on Miles's "'Round About Midnight".