Bensha Swing - Assignment Example

Bensha Swing Thelonious Monk has remained to be one of the prominent people facilitating the development of jazz music. Even though Monk produced much jazz music, Bemsha Swing remains to be the most outstanding. Bemsha Swing, also referred to as Bimsha Swing is a jazz, standard written by Monk Thelonious. The turn is organized in the AABA format. Even though Bemsha Swing is played in a 2-feel, it is in 4/4 meter (Solis 182). The melody comprises of a pattern around a descending C, the A section- Spanish Phrygian scale-, and a chromatic sequencing of the similar pattern a fourth higher on the B scale- an F Spanish Phrygian scale.

According to Solis (185), a C major tonality is suggested by the chordal movement other than C Spanish Phrygian- it’s a relative minor f, harmonic or melodic, or its relative major, A♭ major. Nonetheless, the song ends on a D♭maj7(#11) instead of a C chord- a dislocation that is an attribute of Monk composition (Solis 186). This song was recorded first on the sessions for the album Thelonious Monk Trion by Monk in 1952. Later, it was recorded with Monk as a sideman on Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants album of Miles Davis.

This song was revisited by Monk on his acclaimed 1957 LP Brilliant Corners. Solis (193) asserts that this song was also covered by the Rock band, Red Hot Chilly Peppers in the course of their 1989-1990 Mother’s Milk tour renaming their version F.U. and adding some lyrics. Since then, jazz music has been changing daily with new styles, lyrics, and musical instruments being invented and used.