"Harlem Is Awful Messy" : A composition by Monk that has not been recorded.

[Hardbopjazz]

This tune was written in 1941 by Monk, Hot Lips Page and Joe Guy, but has never recorded.  Too bad the changes are not on the sheet music in the image. I would like to try playing it.  

 

 

[mikeweil]

AFAIK Monk never wrote down changes. He wanted you to improvise on the tune, not the changes. 

[John L]

3 hours ago, mikeweil said:

AFAIK Monk never wrote down changes. He wanted you to improvise on the tune, not the changes. 

Can that really be true?  None of the accepted harmonizations of Monk's composed melodies come from his own notated music?  Monk himself seemed to play similar harmonizations for each given piece.  

Edited December 6, 2025 by John L

[mikeweil]

There is a scene from a Columbia recording session in the Straight No Chaser documentary where Rouse asks whether the chords he just makes up are correct. So obviously there were no chord symbols on the sheet. I must have some facsimile of a Monk sheet somewhere without chords. I will look for it. To me it makes sense. Monk wanted improvisation on the tune, not the chord changes, and he himself played just like that.

7 hours ago, John L said:

 Monk himself seemed to play similar harmonizations for each given piece.  

If so, he wouldn't have needed to notate changes.

[mikeweil]

https://notat.io/download/file.php?id=3399

Facsimile of Monk's Mood. Chord symbols written in black, squeezed in afterwards, likely by someone else.

[John L]

14 hours ago, mikeweil said:

There is a scene from a Columbia recording session in the Straight No Chaser documentary where Rouse asks whether the chords he just makes up are correct. So obviously there were no chord symbols on the sheet. I must have some facsimile of a Monk sheet somewhere without chords. I will look for it. To me it makes sense. Monk wanted improvisation on the tune, not the chord changes, and he himself played just like that.

If so, he wouldn't have needed to notate changes.

This is all very interesting if it is indeed true.  Thanks.

I think that the direction to orient improvisations to the melody as opposed to just playing on the chords is not inconsistent with an accepted harmonic progression.  Monk's approach in that regard was quite different than that of Ornette.