Pianist and composer Thelonious Monk first recorded Misterioso on July 2, 1948. It was released nearly a year later by Blue Note Records. Playing with Monk on the session were Milt Jackson on vibraphone, John Simmons on bass and Shadow Wilson at the drums.

Monk had been born in North Carolina in 1917 but moved to New York City as a young child. He began piano lessons when he was 11. He entered and won several amateur night contests at the Apollo Theater, and was eventually asked not to re-enter to be fair to other contestants. Although he was an excellent student excelling in math and science, he left school to accompany a traveling evangelist. Upon his return he took some classes at Julliard, but soon left to become the house pianist at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem.

Misterioso is a 12-bar blues. The piece begins with the “head,” a chorus of “walking sixths” followed by Jackson’s solo. The striking piano accompaniment behind Jackson’s improvisation demonstrates the musical compatibility of the two performers. Jazz critic Dan Morgenstern has written that “Jackson’s ear is attuned to Monk’s harmonic universe. He does not mind being guided by Monk’s manner of accompanying”. Then it’s Monk’s turn to take a couple of choruses. The head returns, but this time with Jackson taking the lead.

The record had extremely poor sales, but the head of Blue Note Records, Alfred Lion, said that he simply had to record Monk because when he first heard him “I just flipped” and “had to record everything he did.” It is to his credit that he recognized Thelonious Monk’s genius, and it’s our great benefit that we get to hear the recordings they made together.

Here is a link to Thelonious Monk’s performance of Misterioso:

"MISTERIOSO"