Light Blue is an instrumental jazz tune composed by Thelonious Monk, who is credited as its sole writer, and it has no lyrics. Its original recording was made by the Thelonious Monk Quintet with Johnny Griffin. The tune was first released on the Riverside album Thelonious in Action in 1958, which contains the debut of the composition. Its style is listed as bop.
Sources give different dates for the recording: one dates the session to 7 August 1957, while another dates a Five Spot Café show to 7 August 1958. Since its release, the tune has been recorded by many artists, including Dollar Brand, Tommy Flanagan, Arthur Blythe, Fred Hersch, Chick Corea and Gary Burton. Blythe also recorded an album titled Light Blue: Arthur Blythe Plays Thelonious Monk.
