Quick Monk Question

[bertrand]

What are the differences (if any) between the Monk composition 'Hackensack' and the tune labelled 'Lady Be Good' that appears on Kenny Burrell On View At The Five Spot?

How does either tune relate to Gershwin's 'Lady Be Good'?

Thanks in advance,

Bertrand.

[mikeweil]

"Hackensack" was composed over the chord changes of "Lady Be Good" (it probably pre-dates his Blue Note recordings, BTW). Don't know why they didn't credit Monk on the Burrell record. Many possible reasons come to my mind ...

Perhaps there were copyright hassles, there is a Coleman Hawkins tune "Rifftide" that is the same, as in other cases (Rhythm-a-ning/Opus Caprice pre-dated by an identical Mary Lou Williams tune).

[JSngry]

"Hackensack" uses a different turnaround out of the bridge than "Lady Be Good", but otherwise the changes are roughly the same. Lots of players use passing chords in bars 3 & 4 of LBG's A-section, and the second half of LBG's bridge (which of course includes the aforementioned turnaraound) is not quite like that of "Hackensack", but the overall harmonic outlines of the two tunes are the same, these particular differnces notwithstanding.

[Jim Alfredson]

Didn't Jimmy Smith write a tune called Hackensack?

EDIT: No, he just covered the Monk tune.

Gotcha!!!

[Michael Fitzgerald]

The first appearance of the "Hackensack" melody line is on a version of "Oh, Lady Be Good" recorded by Mary Lou Williams in 1944 - a year before the Coleman Hawkins "Rifftide."

Mike

[mikeweil]

Now that only confirms that Mary Lou Williams' appartement was the meeting place of the bop generation, where ideas where exchanged - it may be hard to determine who had a certain idea first ...

Prof. Fitzgerald, do you recall the name of Mary Lou's tune that was there before Opus Caprice and Rhythm-a-ning?

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Walking & Swinging - from 1936.

Mike

[mikeweil]

Yeah, that was it! Couldn't recall the title, thanks a lot!

[Chuck Nessa]

Those darn negroes keep pulling tricks on us white guys!