About
Jonathan Kreisberg takes one chorus of electric guitar on Thelonious Monk's "Ask Me Now" at approximately 107 BPM, navigating Monk's idiosyncratic harmonic language with fluency and respect. The 32-bar AABA form in D-flat is treated with the rubato sensibility that Monk's ballads demand, Kreisberg's clean tone and careful phrasing honoring the composition's distinctive character. As the first of two soloists, his single chorus captures the quirky elegance that defines Monk's writing, his playing finding personal expression within the familiar yet endlessly surprising harmonic framework. Covering Monk is always a statement of purpose for a jazz musician, signaling a deep connection to the tradition.
Jonathan Kreisberg was 31 to 32 years old at the time.
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