Why this tune?
I’m taking a break from the original songs this week to share Thelonious Monk’s lovely ballad “Reflections.” Monk recorded it at least twice, with a band in 1952 and as a solo pianist in 1959.
I first heard the tune on a 1984 album “That’s the Way I Feel Now,” a collection of Monk’s tunes produced by Hal Willner. The album featured musicians from a wide range of backgrounds performing the master’s works, including the blues band NRBQ and Peter Frampton. It’s not available on streaming services, but you can find it on YouTube (I still have my copy on vinyl). The Donald Fagen and Steve Kahn’s reading of “Reflections” stuck with me. They performed it as a duo on synthesizer (Fagen) and guitar (Khan).
There are many other fine recordings of “Reflections” out there, including several fine vocal performances featuring Jon Hendricks’ lyrics to Monk’s melody (titled “Looking Back”), originally recorded by Carmen McRae in 1990.
Tunes On Tuesday Reel
Check it out!
Monk solo
Donald Fagen & Steve Khan
Carmen McRae (“Looking Back” lyrics by Jon Hendricks)