Off Minor is a Thelonious Monk original recorded October 24, 1947 at WOR Studios in New York and released in 1948 on Blue Note 547 as the B-side to Evonce. The A-side Evonce features Idrees Sulieman on trumpet, Danny Quebec West on alto sax, and Billy Smith on tenor sax, while Off Minor is Monk’s own composition performed as a piano trio with Eugene Ramey on bass and Art Blakey on drums. The tune is a dark, medium tempo bebop number that hinges on unusual harmonic language—Monk emphasizes third intervals and dissonant chords rather than resolving in the traditional way, which gives the piece its off minor character. It is one of Monk’s defining Blue Note recordings and a highlight of his early bebop era. A later popular version appears on Monk’s Music (1957) with a larger horn section, but the original 1947 Blue Note trio recording remains a touchstone of Monk’s bold, minimalist style.
