Stories of Standards: “I Mean You”

Tune in to First Take with Lando and Chavis – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

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“I Mean You” by Thelonious Monk and Coleman Hawkins was first recorded in December 1946 by Coleman Hawkins and Orchestra, then released the following year. Jon Hendricks later added lyrics and changed the title to “You Know Who”, most notably recorded by Carmen McRae in 1990. Jazz Advice included “I Mean You” among the ten tunes by Thelonious Monk listeners need to know and described it as one of ten essential jazz standards, with a format of 32 bar AABA, 8 bar A sections and an 8 bar bridge.

Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969) started playing saxophone when 9 years old and became known as “the father of the tenor sax”. Long a favorite of marching bands, circus acts and vaudeville shows, Hawkins transformed it into a major instrument through his strength of tone and attack and brilliant improvisation. From 1934 to 1939 he lived in Europe, where his recordings included one made in 1937 with Benny Carter, Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.

Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982) as a child briefly studied trumpet, but turned his focus to the piano by the time he was nine years old and could play anything he heard. He went on to create some of the most intricate, difficult and influential harmonic structures in jazz, with profound influence on the development of jazz from the 1940s through the present day. “You know, anybody can play a composition and use far-out chords and make it sound wrong. It’s making it sound right that’s not easy.” Thelonious Monk, 1961