"In Walked Bud" is a 1947

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

composition by

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", ...

. It was composed by Monk in honor of his friend, fellow pianist Bud Powell, and based in part on the

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

standard " Blue Skies". Monk recorded many renditions of "In Walked Bud" throughout his career, and it has been covered numerous times by other artists.

Composition and inspiration

"In Walked Bud" was based on the

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

of " Blue Skies", an early

pop standard Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known as pop standards ...

composed in 1927 by

. Monk composed "In Walked Bud" as a tribute to friend and fellow jazz pianist Bud Powell. Many biographies of Powell have cited "In Walked Bud" as Monk's gratitude for Powell's actions in his defense during a police raid of the

Savoy Ballroom The Savoy Ballroom was a large ballroom for music and public dancing located at 596 Lenox Avenue, between 140th and 141st Streets in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Lenox Avenue was the main thoroughfare through upper Harlem ...

in 1945. According to Monk biographer Thomas Fitterling, the police raided the venue and singled out Monk, who refused to show his identification and was arrested with force. Powell, a fan of Monk's, then attempted to prevent the police from the door and yelled, "Stop, you don't know what you're doing. You're mistreating the greatest pianist in the world." According to this account, Powell was struck in the head by a police officer with a nightstick, suffering an injury that led to a pattern of institutionalizations and destructive behavior that plagued the rest of his career. Other sources have explained Powell's injury differently;

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

said Powell was beaten by a Savoy Ballroom bouncer after walking in the club without any money, while

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gi ...

claimed he was beaten while in police custody after his arrest for drunk and disorderly conduct in a Philadelphia train station.

Recordings

Monk recorded "In Walked Bud" several times during his career, starting with the 1947 sessions later compiled for '' Genius of Modern Music'' (1951). According to music critic Robert Christgau, Monk's rendition of the song for his 1958 live album '' Misterioso'' featured "a long, laconically hilarious (and laconically, hilariously virtuosic)

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

solo that's a landmark of saxophony". The last recording by Monk was for his 1968 record ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ...

'', featuring lyrics and vocals by

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

. The song has since been covered by numerous artists. "In Walked Bud"at ''

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

'' – retrieved on 3 July 2009

References

External links

"In Walked Bud"
at jazzstandards.com 1947 songs Songs with music by Thelonious Monk Bebop jazz standards 1940s jazz standards Songs with lyrics by Jon Hendricks Carmen McRae songs {{1940s-jazz-composition-stub