Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and
composerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
considered "one of the giants of American music". Monk had a unique
improvisationImprovisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
al style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "
Epistrophy"Epistrophy" is a jazz standard composed by Thelonious Monk and Kenny Clarke in 1942. It has been called "the first classic, modern jazz composition."Its 'A' section is based on a pattern of alternating chords a semitone apart....
", "
'Round MidnightRound Midnight" is a 1944 jazz standard by pianist Thelonious Monk. Jazz artists Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Pepper, and Miles Davis have further embellished the song, with songwriter Bernie Hanighen adding lyrics...
", "
Blue Monk"Blue Monk" is a jazz standard written by Thelonious Monk that has become one of his most enduring tunes. It is a B flat blues, based on the jazz tune "Pastel Blue".-Performances:*1960: The Great Kai & J.J. by J. J...
", "
Straight, No Chaser"Straight, No Chaser" is a jazz standard composed by Thelonious Monk. It was first recorded on Monk's Blue Note Sessions in 1951. It has been recorded numerous times by Monk and others and is one of Monk's most covered songs....
" and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second most recorded jazz composer after
Duke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, which is particularly remarkable as Ellington composed over 1,000 songs while Monk wrote about 70.
His compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, and are consistent with Monk's unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of silences and hesitations. This was not a style universally appreciated; poet and jazz critic
Philip LarkinPhilip Arthur Larkin, CH, CBE, FRSL is widely regarded as one of the great English poets of the latter half of the twentieth century...
dismissed Monk as 'the elephant on the keyboard'.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/music/page_9/6242478/part_2/in-the-steps-of-larkin.thtml
Monk's manner was idiosyncratic. Visually, he was renowned for his distinctive style in suits, hats and sunglasses. He was also noted for the fact that at times, while the other musicians in the band continued playing, he would stop, stand up from the keyboard and dance for a few moments before returning to the piano. One of his regular dances consisted of continuously turning clockwise, which has drawn comparisons to
ring-shoutA shout or ring shout is an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, first practiced by African slaves in the West Indies and the United States, in which worshipers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands...
and
Sufi whirlingSufi whirling , is a form of Sama or physicaly active meditation which orginated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. It is a customary dance performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach the source of all...
.
He is one of five jazz musicians to have been featured on the cover of
Time (the other four being
Louis ArmstrongLouis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
,
Duke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
,
Wynton MarsalisWynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, and
Dave BrubeckDavid Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
) as of 2010.
Early life
Thelonious Monk was born October 10, 1917 in
Rocky Mount, North CarolinaRocky Mount is an All-America City Award-winning city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the coastal plains of the state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1867, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of...
, the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk, two years after his sister Marion. A brother, Thomas, was born in January 1920. In 1922, the family moved to 243 West 63rd Street, in
ManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City. Monk started playing the piano at the age of six. Although he had some formal training and eavesdropped on his sister's piano lessons, he was largely self-taught. Monk attended
Stuyvesant High SchoolStuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
, but did not graduate. He toured with an evangelist in his teens, playing the church organ, and in his late teens he began to find work playing jazz.
In the early to mid 1940s, Monk was the house pianist at
Minton's PlayhouseMinton’s Playhouse is a jazz club and bar located on the first floor of the Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem. Minton’s was founded by tenor saxophonist Henry Minton in 1938...
, a Manhattan nightclub. Much of Monk's style was developed during his time at Minton's, when he participated in after-hours "cutting competitions" which featured many leading jazz soloists of the time. The Minton's scene was crucial in the formulation of
bebopBebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
and it brought Monk into close contact with other leading exponents of the emerging idiom, including
Dizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
,
Charlie ChristianCharles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
,
Kenny ClarkeKenny Clarke , born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook" and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming...
,
Charlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
and later,
Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
. Monk is believed to be the pianist featured on recordings Jerry Newman made around 1941 at the club. Monk's style at this time was later described as "hard-swinging," with the addition of runs in the style of
Art TatumArthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
. Monk's stated influences included
Duke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
,
James P. JohnsonJames P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
, and other early
stride pianistsHarlem Stride Piano, Stride Piano, or just Stride, is a jazz piano style that was developed in the large cities of the East Coast, mainly in the New York, during 1920s and 1930s. The left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a single bass note, octave, seventh or tenth interval on the first and...
. In the documentary
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No ChaserThelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser is a documentary about the life of Thelonious Monk. Produced by Clint Eastwood, Bruce Ricker, and directed/co-produced by Charlotte Zwerin, it features live performances by Monk and his group, and posthumous interviews with friends and family...
, it is stated that Monk lived in the same neighborhood in New York City as Johnson and knew him as a teenager.
Mary Lou WilliamsMary Lou Williams was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Williams wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements, and recorded more than one hundred records...
, among others, spoke of Monk's rich inventiveness in this period, and how such invention was vital for musicians since at the time it was common for fellow musicians to incorporate overheard musical ideas into their own works without giving due credit. "So, the boppers worked out a music that was hard to steal. I'll say this for the `leeches', though: they tried. I've seen them in Minton's busily writing on their shirt cuffs or scribbling on the tablecloth. And even our own guys, I'm afraid, did not give Monk the credit he had coming. Why, they even stole his idea of the beret and bop glasses."
Early recordings (1944–1954)
In 1944 Monk made his first studio recordings with the
Coleman HawkinsColeman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
Quartet. Hawkins was among the first prominent jazz musicians to promote Monk, and Monk later returned the favor by inviting Hawkins to join him on the 1957 session with
John ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
. Monk made his first recordings as leader for
Blue NoteBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
in 1947 (later anthologised on
Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1) which showcased his talents as a composer of original melodies for improvisation. Monk married Nellie Smith the same year, and in 1949 the couple had a son,
T. S. MonkT. S. Monk is an American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader. He is the son of fellow jazz musician, Thelonious Monk.-Biography:...
, who is a jazz drummer. A daughter, Barbara (affectionately known as Boo-Boo), was born in 1953.
In August 1951, New York City police searched a parked car occupied by Monk and friend
Bud PowellEarl Rudolph "Bud" Powell was an American Jazz pianist. Powell has been described as one of "the two most significant pianists of the style of modern jazz that came to be known as bop", the other being his friend and contemporary Thelonious Monk...
. The police found narcotics in the car, presumed to have belonged to Powell. Monk refused to testify against his friend, so the police confiscated his
New York City Cabaret CardFrom Prohibition until 1967, a permit called the New York City Cabaret Identification Card was required of all workers, including performers, in New York City nightclubs. Their administration was fraught with politics, and some artists' cards were revoked on specious grounds. For many performers,...
. Without the all-important cabaret card he was unable to play in any New York venue where liquor was served, and this severely restricted his ability to perform for several crucial years. Monk spent most of the early and mid-1950s composing, recording, and performing at theaters and out-of-town gigs.
After his cycle of intermittent recording sessions for
Blue NoteBlue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
during 1947–1952, he was under contract to
Prestige RecordsPrestige Records was a jazz record label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock. The company was located at 203 South Washington Avenue in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz musicians of the day, sometimes issuing them under the names of several...
for the following two years. With Prestige he cut several highly significant, but at the time under-recognized, albums, including collaborations with saxophonist
Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
and drummers
Art BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
and
Max RoachMaxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach was an American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer.A pioneer of bebop, Roach went on to work in many other styles of music, and is generally considered alongside the most important drummers in history...
. In 1954, Monk participated in a Christmas Eve session which produced most of the albums
Bags' GrooveBags' Groove is a jazz album recorded by Miles Davis in 1954 for Prestige Records. Both takes of the title track come from a session on December 24, 1954 . The rest of the album was recorded earlier in the year, on 29 June. Bags' Groove is a jazz album recorded by Miles Davis in 1954 for Prestige...
and
Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants by
Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
. Davis found Monk's idiosyncratic accompaniment style difficult to improvise over and asked him to lay out (not accompany), which almost brought them to blows. However, in Miles Davis' autobiography
Miles, Davis claims that the anger and tension between Monk and himself never took place and that the claims of blows being exchanged were "rumors" and a "misunderstanding".
In 1954, Monk paid his first visit to Europe, performing and recording in Paris. Backstage Mary Lou Williams introduced him to Baroness Pannonica "Nica" de Koenigswarter, a member of the
Rothschild familyThe Rothschild family , known as The House of Rothschild, or more simply as the Rothschilds, is a Jewish-German family that established European banking and finance houses starting in the late 18th century...
and a patroness of several New York City jazz musicians. She would be a close friend for the rest of Monk's life, including taking responsibility for him when she and Monk were charged with marijuana possession.
Riverside Records (1955–1961)
At the time of his signing to
RiversideRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
, Monk was highly regarded by his peers and by some critics, but his records did not sell in significant numbers, and his music was still regarded as too "difficult" for mass-market acceptance. Indeed, with Monk's consent, Riverside had managed to buy out his previous Prestige contract for a mere $108.24. He willingly recorded two albums of jazz standards as a means of increasing his profile. The first of these,
Thelonious Monk Plays the Music of Duke EllingtonThelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington is a 1955 album by Thelonious Monk, comprising his recordings of well-known songs by Duke Ellington. It was Monk's first album to be released by Riverside Records....
, featuring bass innovator
Oscar PettifordOscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
and drummer
Kenny ClarkeKenny Clarke , born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook" and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming...
, included
EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
pieces "
Caravan"Caravan" is a jazz standard composed by Juan Tizol and first performed by Duke Ellington in 1937. Irving Mills wrote the lyrics, but he sometimes is not credited on the many instrumental versions. Its exotic sound interested exotica musicians; Martin Denny and Arthur Lyman both covered it. Woody...
" and "
It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"It Don't Mean a Thing " is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for...
".
On the 1956 LP
Brilliant CornersBrilliant Corners is a 1957 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It was his third album for the Riverside label and the first, for this label, to include his own compositions. The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio, and is considered one of his most difficult...
, Monk recorded his own music. The complex title track, which featured tenor saxophonist
Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
, was so difficult to play that the final version had to be edited together from multiple takes. The album, however, was largely regarded as the first success for Monk; according to
Orrin KeepnewsOrrin Keepnews is an American writer and jazz record producer. In June 2010, he received a lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.- Career :...
, "It was the first that made a real splash."
After having his cabaret card restored, Monk relaunched his New York career with a landmark six-month residency at the
Five SpotThe Five Spot Café was a jazz club located at 5 Cooper Square in the Bowery neighbourhood of New York City.-History:In 1937, Salvatore Termini purchased what was then known as the Bowery Café, a working-class bar located under the Third Avenue El. In 1946, two of Termini's sons, Joe and Ignatze ...
Cafe in New York beginning in June 1957, leading a quartet with
John ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
on tenor saxophone,
Wilbur WareWilbur Ware was an American jazz double-bassist known for his hard bop percussive style.Born in Chicago, Ware taught himself to play banjo and bass. In the 1940s, he worked with Stuff Smith, Sonny Stitt and Roy Eldridge. In the 1950s, Ware played with Eddie Vinson, Art Blakey, and Buddy DeFranco...
on bass, and
Shadow WilsonRossiere "Shadow" Wilson was an American jazz drummer.Much of Wilson's early work was with swing jazz orchestras. He played with Lucky Millinder in 1939, and following this with Benny Carter, Tiny Bradshaw, Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines, Count Basie, and Woody Herman...
on drums. Unfortunately little of this group's music was documented due to contractual problems, Coltrane being signed to Prestige at the time. One short studio session was made for Riverside (only released later by its subsidiary Jazzland in 1961) and a larger group recording featuring Coltrane was split between that album and
Monk's Music; an amateur tape from the Five Spot (not the original residency, but a later September 1958 reunion with Coltrane sitting in for
Johnny GriffinJohn Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
) was issued on Blue Note in 1993; and a recording of the quartet performing at a
Carnegie HallCarnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
concert on November 29, previously "rumoured to exist", was recorded in high fidelity by
Voice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
, rediscovered in the collection of the
Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
in 2005 and released by Blue Note.
"
CrepusculeTwilight is the time between dawn and sunrise or between sunset and dusk, during which sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere illuminates the lower atmosphere, and the surface of the earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark. The sun itself is not directly visible because it is below...
With Nellie",
recorded in 1957The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings is a 2006 release of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's work for the Riverside Records label in 1957, with two tracks previously unreleased in any form....
, "was Monk's only, what's called through-composed composition, meaning that there is no improvising. It is Monk's concerto, if you will, and in some ways it speaks for itself. But he wrote it very, very carefully and very deliberately and really struggled to make it sound the way it sounds. [... I]t was his love song for Nellie," said biographer Kelley in an interview.
The Five Spot residency ended Christmas 1957, Coltrane left to rejoin
Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
's seminal sextet, and the band was effectively disbanded. Monk did not form another long-term band until June 1958, when he began a second residency at the Five Spot, again with a quartet, this time with Griffin (and later
Charlie RouseCharlie Rouse was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by the collaboration for more than ten years with Thelonious Monk.- Biography :...
) on tenor,
Ahmed Abdul-MalikAhmed Abdul-Malik was a jazz double bassist and oud player of Sudanese descent....
on bass, and
Roy HaynesRoy Owen Haynes is an American jazz drummer and bandleader. Haynes is among the most recorded drummers in jazz, and in a career lasting more than 60 years has played in a wide range of styles ranging from swing and bebop to jazz fusion and avant-garde jazz...
on drums.
On October 15, 1958, the residency having ended and
en route to a week-long engagement for the quartet at the Comedy Club in Baltimore, Maryland, Monk and de Koenigswarter were detained by police in
Wilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. When Monk refused to answer the policemen's questions or cooperate with them, they beat him with a blackjack. Though the police were authorized to search the vehicle and found narcotics in suitcases held in the trunk of the Baroness's car, Judge Christie of the
Delaware Superior CourtThe Delaware Superior Court is the state trial court of general jurisdiction in the state of Delaware. It has original jurisdiction over most criminal and civil cases...
ruled that the unlawful detention of the pair, and the beating of Monk, rendered the consent to the search void as given under duress. Monk was represented by Theophilus Nix, the second African-American member of the Delaware Bar Association.
Columbia Records (1962–1970)
After extended negotiations, Monk signed in 1962 to
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, one of the big four American record labels of the day along with RCA Victor,
CapitolCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, and
DeccaDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
. Monk's relationship with Riverside had soured over disagreements concerning royalty payments and had concluded with a brace of European live albums; he had not recorded a studio album since
5 by Monk by 55 by Monk by 5 is an album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, released in 1959. The album's basis is five of Monk's original compositions performed in a quintet setting.-Track listing :All songs by Thelonious Monk unless otherwise noted....
in June 1959.
Working with producer
Teo MaceroTeo Macero , born Attilio Joseph Macero, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer...
on his debut for the label, the sessions in the first week of November had a stable line-up that had been with him for two years: tenor saxophonist
Charlie RouseCharlie Rouse was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by the collaboration for more than ten years with Thelonious Monk.- Biography :...
(who worked with Monk from 1959 to 1970), bassist
John OreJohn Ore is an American jazz bassist.Ore attended the New School of Music in Philadelphia from 1943-46, studying cello, and followed this with studies on bass at Juilliard....
, and drummer
Frankie DunlopFrancis "Frankie" Dunlop is an American jazz drummer.Dunlop grew up in a musical family and began playing guitar at age nine and drums at ten. He was playing professionally by age 16 and received some classical education in percussion...
.
Monk's Dream, his earliest Columbia album, was released in 1963.
Columbia's resources allowed Monk to be promoted more widely than earlier in his career.
Monk's Dream would remain the best-selling LP of his lifetime, and on February 28, 1964, Monk appeared on the cover of
Time magazine, being featured in the article, "The Loneliest Monk". He continued to record a number of well-reviewed studio albums, particularly
Criss CrossCriss Cross is Thelonious Monk's 26th album and his second with Columbia Records. The album consists of previously released Monk compositions that were re-recorded and re-released under Columbia Records by the Thelonious Monk Quintet.- History :...
, also from 1963, and
UndergroundUnderground is a 1968 album by Thelonious Monk. It features Monk on piano, Larry Gales on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, and Ben Riley on drums....
, from 1968. But by the Columbia years his compositional output was limited, and only his final Columbia studio record
Underground featured a substantial number of new tunes, including his only waltz time piece, "Ugly Beauty".
As had been the case with Riverside, his period with Columbia Records contains many live albums, including
Miles and Monk at Newport (1963),
Live at the It ClubLive at the It Club is the ninth album Thelonious Monk released for Columbia Records. Recorded October 31, and November 1, 1964, the album features Monk compositions as well jazz standards....
and
Live at the Jazz WorkshopLive at the Jazz Workshop is a live album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk, recorded during two shows in San Francisco in 1964 and first released in 1982, by Columbia Records.-Release history:...
, both recorded in 1964, the latter not being released until 1982. After the departure of Ore and Dunlop, the remainder of the rhythm section in Monk's quartet during the bulk of his Columbia period was
Larry GalesLawrence Bernard "Larry" Gales was an American jazz double-bassist.Gales began playing bass at age 11, and attended the Manhattan School of Music in the late 1950s. In that decade and the beginning of the next he worked with J.C. Heard, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Mann, Junior...
on bass and
Ben RileyBen Riley is an American hard bop drummer known for his work with Thelonious Monk, as well as Alice Coltrane, Stan Getz, Woody Herman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Ahmad Jamal, Kenny Barron, and as member of the group Sphere...
on drums, both of whom joined in 1964, Along with Rouse, they remained with Monk for over four years, his longest-serving band.
According to biographer Kelley, the 1964
Time appearance came because "
Barry FarrellBarry Farrell was an American journalist and editor who wrote for numerous magazines. He worked for Time, Life and Harper's Magazines in the 1960s and 1970s. He also wrote a book about Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal entitled Pat and Roald.-Early life:Farrell was a native of Seattle, Washington...
, who wrote the cover story, wanted to write about a jazz musician and almost by default Monk was chosen, because they thought
Ray CharlesRay Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
and
Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
were too controversial. ... [Monk] wasn't so political. [...O]f course, I challenge that [in the biography]," said Kelley.
Later life
Monk had disappeared from the scene by the mid-1970s, and made only a small number of appearances during the final decade of his life. His last studio recordings as a leader were made in November 1971 for the English
Black LionBlack Lion Records was a jazz record label based in London, England.Black Lion was founded by Alan Bates in 1968. The label had two series of releases, one for British jazz musicians and one for international musicians...
label, near the end of a worldwide tour with "The Giants of Jazz," a group which included
Dizzy GillespieJohn Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz...
,
Kai WindingKai Chresten Winding was a popular Danish-born American trombonist and jazz composer. He is well known for a successful collaboration with fellow trombonist J. J. Johnson.-Biography:...
,
Sonny StittEdward "Sonny" Stitt was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the best-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 albums in his lifetime...
,
Al McKibbonAl McKibbon was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz.In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced Ray Brown in Dizzy Gillespie's band, in which he played until 1950...
and
Art BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
. Bassist
Al McKibbonAl McKibbon was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz.In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced Ray Brown in Dizzy Gillespie's band, in which he played until 1950...
, who had known Monk for over twenty years and played on his final tour in 1971, later said: "On that tour Monk said about two words. I mean literally maybe two words. He didn't say 'Good morning', 'Goodnight', 'What time?' Nothing. Why, I don't know. He sent word back after the tour was over that the reason he couldn't communicate or play was that
Art BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
and I were so ugly." A different side of Monk is revealed in
Lewis Porter-Life:Dr Porter studied at the University of Rochester, followed by Master's degrees from Northeastern University and Tufts University and a doctorate in Musicology from Brandeis University....
's biography,
John Coltrane: His Life and Music; Coltrane states: "Monk is exactly the opposite of Miles [Davis]: he talks about music all the time, and he wants so much for you to understand that if, by chance, you ask him something, he'll spend hours if necessary to explain it to you."
The documentary film
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No ChaserThelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser is a documentary about the life of Thelonious Monk. Produced by Clint Eastwood, Bruce Ricker, and directed/co-produced by Charlotte Zwerin, it features live performances by Monk and his group, and posthumous interviews with friends and family...
(1988) attributes Monk's quirky behaviour to
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. In the film, Monk's son,
T. S. MonkT. S. Monk is an American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader. He is the son of fellow jazz musician, Thelonious Monk.-Biography:...
, says that his father sometimes did not recognize him, and he reports that Monk was hospitalized on several occasions due to an unspecified mental illness that worsened in the late 1960s. No reports or diagnoses were ever publicized, but Monk would often become excited for two or three days, pace for days after that, after which he would withdraw and stop speaking. Physicians recommended
electroconvulsive therapyElectroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
as a treatment option for Monk's illness, but his family would not allow it;
antipsychoticAn antipsychotic is a tranquilizing psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis , particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A first generation of antipsychotics, known as typical antipsychotics, was discovered in the 1950s...
s and
lithiumLithium pharmacology refers to use of the lithium ion, Li+, as a drug. A number of chemical salts of lithium are used medically as a mood stabilizing drug, primarily in the treatment of bipolar disorder, where they have a role in the treatment of depression and particularly of mania, both acutely...
were prescribed instead. Other theories abound: Leslie Gourse, author of the book
Straight, No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk (1997), reported that at least one of Monk's psychiatrists failed to find evidence of manic depression or
schizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. Another physician maintains that Monk was misdiagnosed and prescribed drugs during his hospital stay that may have caused brain damage.
As his health declined, Monk's last six years were spent as a guest in the New Jersey home of his long-standing patron and friend, Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, who had also nursed
Charlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
during his final illness. Monk didn't play the piano during this time, even though one was present in his room, and he spoke to few visitors. He died of a
strokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
on February 17, 1982, and was buried in
Ferncliff CemeteryFerncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum is located on Secor Road in the hamlet of Hartsdale, town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It was founded in 1902, and is non-sectarian...
in
Hartsdale, New YorkHartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at ....
. In 1993, he was posthumously awarded the
Grammy Lifetime Achievement AwardThe Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded by the Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording."...
, and in 2006, Monk was posthumously awarded a
Pulitzer Prize Special CitationThe Pulitzer Prize jury has the option of awarding special citations where they consider necessary.-Journalism awards:* 1924: A special prize of $1000 was awarded to the widow of Frank I. Cobb, New York World, in recognition of the distinction of her husband's editorial writing and service.* 1930:...
.
Art BlakeyArthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
reports that Monk was excellent at both chess and checkers (draughts).
Tributes
Soprano saxophonist
Steve LacySteve Lacy , born Steven Norman Lackritz in New York City, was a jazz saxophonist and composer recognized as one of the important players of soprano saxophone....
performed as Monk's accompanist in 1960. Monk's tunes became a permanent part of his repertoire in concert and on albums. Lacy released several albums entirely focused on Monk's compositions including:
- Reflections
Reflections is the second album by Steve Lacy which was released on the Prestige label in 1959. It features performances of Thelonious Monk's compositions by Lacy, Mal Waldron, Buell Neidlinger and Elvin Jones...
(Prestige, 1959)
- School Days (Emanem, 1963 - first released in 1975)
- Epistrophy (BYG, 1969)
- Eronel (Horo, 1979)
- Only Monk
Only Monk is the third album by Steve Lacy to be released on the Italian Soul Note label . It features solo performances of nine tunes written by Thelonious Monk by Lacy...
(Soul Note, 1986)
- More Monk
More Monk is the sixth album by Steve Lacy to be released on the Italian Soul Note label . It features solo performances of eleven tunes written by Thelonious Monk by Lacy...
(Soul Note, 1989)
Gunther SchullerGunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
wrote the work "Variants" on a
Theme of Thelonious Monk (1960, for 13 instruments) for Monk. It was later performed and recorded by other artists, including Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, and Bill Evans.
Anthony BraxtonAnthony Braxton is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinettist, flautist, pianist, and philosopher. Braxton has released well over 100 albums since the 1960s...
recorded
Six Monk's Compositions (1987)Six Monk's Compositions is an album by American saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton recorded in 1987 for the Italian Black Saint label. The album features Braxton's interpretations of compositions by Thelonious Monk.-Reception:...
in 1987.
Pianist
Ran BlakeRan Blake is an American pianist and composer from Springfield, Massachusetts. In a career that spans five decades, Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator...
recorded
EpistrophyEpistrophy is an album of solo piano performances of material written by, or associated with, Thelonious Monk by the American jazz pianist Ran Blake recorded in 1991 and released on the Italian Soul Note label.-Reception:...
in 1991.
Round Midnight Variations is a collection of variations on the song "
'Round MidnightRound Midnight" is a 1944 jazz standard by pianist Thelonious Monk. Jazz artists Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Pepper, and Miles Davis have further embellished the song, with songwriter Bernie Hanighen adding lyrics...
", composed by Roberto Andreoni,
Milton BabbittMilton Byron Babbitt was an American composer, music theorist, and teacher. He is particularly noted for his serial and electronic music.-Biography:...
, Alberto Barbero, Carlo Boccadoro,
William BolcomWilliam Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
,
David CrumbDavid Crumb, born May 21, 1962, is a contemporary composer born into a musical family. His father is composer George Crumb, and his sister is singer Ann Crumb...
.
George CrumbGeorge Crumb is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He is noted as an explorer of unusual timbres, alternative forms of notation, and extended instrumental and vocal techniques. Examples include seagull effect for the cello , metallic vibrato for the piano George Crumb (born...
,
Michael DaughertyMichael Kevin Daugherty is an American composer, pianist, and teacher. Influenced by popular culture, Romanticism, and Postmodernism, Daugherty is one of the most colorful and widely performed American concert music composers of his generation...
, Filippo Del Corno,
John HarbisonJohn Harris Harbison is an American composer, best known for his operas and large choral works.-Life:...
,
Joel HoffmanJoel Hoffman is an Canadian composer of contemporary classical music and pianist living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a professor of composition at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the founder and director of the MusicX festival of new music which is held each summer at...
,
Aaron Jay KernisAaron Jay Kernis is an American composer and professor at the Yale School of Music.-Biography:Aaron Jay Kernis is Jewish, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and studied at the Manhattan School of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory, and Yale University .,Notable works include the...
,
Gerald LevinsonGerald Levinson is an American composer of contemporary classical music.-Life:At university, he studied with George Crumb, Richard Wernick, and George Rochberg. After college, Levinson went to study composition with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory...
,
Tobias PickerTobias Picker is an American composer. Picker began composing at the age of eight and studied at the Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School and Princeton University, where his principal teachers were Charles Wuorinen, Elliott Carter and Milton Babbitt...
, Matthew Quayle,
Frederic RzewskiFrederic Anthony Rzewski is an American composer and virtuoso pianist.- Biography :Rzewski began playing piano at age 5. He attended Phillips Academy, Harvard and Princeton, where his teachers included Randall Thompson, Roger Sessions, Walter Piston and Milton Babbitt...
,
Augusta Read ThomasAugusta Read Thomas is an American composer.Augusta Read Thomas was born in Glen Cove, New York. She attended The Green Vale School and later moved on to St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, and then studied composition with Jacob Druckman at Yale University and at the Royal Academy of...
and
Michael TorkeMichael Torke is an American composer who writes music influenced by jazz and minimalism. Sometimes described as a post-minimalist, his most postminimal piece is Four Proverbs, in which the syllable for each pitch is fixed and variations in the melody produce streams of nonsense words. Other works...
.
In the 2005 film
Dave Chappelle's Block PartyA compilation of "music from and inspired by" the film was released on March 14, 2006.The album was released by Geffen Records, and produced by Corey Smyth for Blacksmith Music Corp and Questlove.#Dead Prez - "Hip Hop"#Black Star - "Definition"...
, drummer Questlove shares the information that of the two songs which
Dave ChappelleDavid Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His...
can play on the piano, one is Monk's
"'Round Midnight"Round Midnight" is a 1944 jazz standard by pianist Thelonious Monk. Jazz artists Cootie Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Pepper, and Miles Davis have further embellished the song, with songwriter Bernie Hanighen adding lyrics...
. Chappelle plays two versions of the song during this revelation.
Salim Ghazi Saeedi has dedicated a song entitled "For Thelonious, and His 88 Holy Names" to Thelonious Monk in his 2011 album, Human Encounter
.
Blue Note Records (1948–1952)
- Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1
Genius of Modern Music: Volume 1 is the name given to at least four different compilation albums by jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk. Each version comprises some of Monk's first recordings as band leader for Blue Note, recorded in 1947 . The original LP with this title was compiled in 1951.Two...
(1947 Blue Note recordings)
- Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2
Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2 is the name given to at least four different compilation albums by jazz pianist, Thelonious Monk. Each version comprises some of Monk's recordings as a band leader for Blue Note, recorded between 1947 and 1952...
(1951–1952 Blue Note recordings)
Prestige Records (1952–1954)
- Thelonious Monk Trio
Thelonious Monk Trio is an album by jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk featuring his earliest recordings for the Prestige label performed by Monk with Gerry Mapp and Art Blakey or Max Roach and one track with Percy Heath replacing Mapp. The Allmusic review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr...
(Prestige 7027), 1952-4
- Monk (Prestige 7053) recorded 1953-4
- Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins
Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins is an album by jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk featuring his final recordings for the Prestige label performed by Monk with a quintet featuring Sonny Rollins, Julius Watkins, Percy Heath, and Willie Jones, a trio featuring Heath and Art Blakey and a...
(Prestige 7075), recorded 1953-4
Riverside Records (1955–1961)
- Thelonious Monk plays the Music of Duke Ellington
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington is a 1955 album by Thelonious Monk, comprising his recordings of well-known songs by Duke Ellington. It was Monk's first album to be released by Riverside Records....
(1955)
- The Unique Thelonious Monk
The Unique Thelonious Monk is a 1956 album from Thelonious Monk, his second for Riverside Records and like his Riverside debut, is made up of standards...
(1955)
- Brilliant Corners
Brilliant Corners is a 1957 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. It was his third album for the Riverside label and the first, for this label, to include his own compositions. The complex title track required over a dozen takes in the studio, and is considered one of his most difficult...
(1956 recording with Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
and Clark TerryClark Terry is an American swing and bop trumpeter, a pioneer of the fluegelhorn in jazz, educator, NEA Jazz Masters inductee, and recipient of the 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...
)
- Thelonious Himself
Thelonious Himself is a 1957 album by Thelonious Monk and his first to consist of exclusively solo material including "'Round Midnight", Monk's most famous composition. The original CD reissue includes a revelatory 22 minutes of "'Round Midnight" outtakes, ideas, and development. The Keepnews...
(1957)
- Monk's Music
Monk's Music is a 1957 album by Thelonious Monk's jazz septet. It was recorded in New York on June 26, 1957. The first song "Abide With Me"—a hymn by W. H. Monk—is an austere rendition played only by the septet's horn section. The song "Ruby, My Dear" is performed only by Monk, Coleman Hawkins,...
(1957)
- Mulligan Meets Monk
Mulligan Meets Monk is a jazz album by saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and pianist Thelonious Monk, originally released in 1957. It has been reissued numerous times on CD...
(1957, with Gerry MulliganGerald Joseph "Gerry" Mulligan was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though Mulligan is primarily known as one of the leading baritone saxophonists in jazz history – playing the instrument with a light and airy tone in the era of cool jazz – he was also...
)
- Thelonious in Action
Thelonious in Action: Recorded at the Five Spot Cafe is a 1958 album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Recorded live at the Five Spot Cafe it features Thelonious Monk , Johnny Griffin , Ahmed Abdul-Malik , and Roy Haynes ....
and Misterioso (1958, live at the Five Spot with Johnny GriffinJohn Arnold Griffin III was an American bop and hard bop tenor saxophonist.- Early life and career :Griffin studied music at DuSable High School in Chicago under Walter Dyett, starting out on clarinet before moving on to oboe and then alto sax...
)
- The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall
The Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall is an album by Thelonious Monk, originally released in 1959. The concert included Hall Overton’s arrangements on Monk’s tunes...
(1959, Charlie RouseCharlie Rouse was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by the collaboration for more than ten years with Thelonious Monk.- Biography :...
joined the band then)
- 5 by Monk by 5
5 by Monk by 5 is an album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, released in 1959. The album's basis is five of Monk's original compositions performed in a quintet setting.-Track listing :All songs by Thelonious Monk unless otherwise noted....
(1959)
- Thelonious Alone in San Francisco
Thelonious Alone in San Francisco is jazz pianist Thelonious Monk's second solo album, released in 1959.It was recorded live at Fugazi Hall, San Francisco, California on October 21 and 22, 1959.-Track listing:#"Blue Monk" - 3:44#"Ruby, My Dear" - 3:56...
(1959)
- Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk
Thelonious Monk at the Blackhawk is an album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. It was originally issued on the Riverside label as RLP 12-323 /1171 and Original Jazz Classics OJCCD 305-2 in 1987.-Track listing:...
(1960, with Charlie RouseCharlie Rouse was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by the collaboration for more than ten years with Thelonious Monk.- Biography :...
)
- Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane is a 1957 album by Thelonious Monk originally recorded for Riverside Records. It was recorded while Monk was engaged in a six-month stay at New York's legendary Five Spot in 1957 with his quartet of the time, which included Coltrane...
(1957 recordings, 1961 issue) - Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Monk in France
Monk in France is an album by jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, originally released on April 18, 1961. The remastered album includes two bonus tracks, "Body and Soul" and "Crepuscule with Nellie."- Track listing :...
(recorded in 1961)
- Thelonious Monk in Italy (recorded 1961)
- Thelonious Monk and the Jazz Giants (1987)
- Thelonious Monk Quartet Live at the Five Spot: Discovery! (with Coltrane recorded 1958, released in 1993 on Blue Note)
- Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall
At Carnegie Hall is a much acclaimed live album by The Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane.It was recorded on 29 November 1957 at "Thanksgiving Jazz", a benefit concert produced by Kenneth Lee Karpe for the Morningside Community Center in Harlem. Other acts playing included: Billie Holiday,...
(1957, released 2005 on Blue Note.)
- The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings
The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings is a 2006 release of Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane's work for the Riverside Records label in 1957, with two tracks previously unreleased in any form....
(2006 collection of the 1957 studio recordings with Coltrane)
Columbia Records (1962–1968)
- Monk's Dream (1963)
- Criss Cross
Criss Cross is Thelonious Monk's 26th album and his second with Columbia Records. The album consists of previously released Monk compositions that were re-recorded and re-released under Columbia Records by the Thelonious Monk Quintet.- History :...
(1963)
- Monk in Tokyo
Monk in Tokyo is the third album Thelonious Monk released in 1963 for Columbia Records, featuring several original Monk compositions as well as jazz standards.- Track listing :# "Straight, No Chaser"# "Panonica"# "Just a Gigolo"# "Jackie-Ing"...
(1963)
- Miles & Monk at Newport
Miles & Monk at Newport was a combined album of a Miles Davis appearance at Newport with an appearance of Thelonious Monk, from the LP era. Despite the title, the two artists do not perform together on the LP, and they are represented on each side by separate live appearances at the Newport Jazz...
(1963, with unrelated 1958 Miles Davis performance)
- Big Band and Quartet in Concert
Big Band and Quartet in Concert is the fifth album Thelonious Monk released for Columbia Records, featuring several Monk compositions. It was recorded live at Lincoln Center, Philharmonic Hall, New York, New York on December 30, 1963....
(1963)
- It's Monk's Time
It's Monk's Time is the sixth album Thelonious Monk released in 1964 for Columbia Records, featuring three original compositions as well as two jazz standards.-Tracklisting:#"Lulu's Back In Town" – 9:55...
(1964)
- Monk (1964)
- Solo Monk
Solo Monk is the eighth album Thelonious Monk released for Columbia Records in 1965. The album is composed entirely of solo piano work by Monk. The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek states "This is perhaps the solo piano record to have by Monk"...
(1964)
- Live at the It Club
Live at the It Club is the ninth album Thelonious Monk released for Columbia Records. Recorded October 31, and November 1, 1964, the album features Monk compositions as well jazz standards....
(1964)
- Live at the Jazz Workshop
Live at the Jazz Workshop is a live album by jazz musician Thelonious Monk, recorded during two shows in San Francisco in 1964 and first released in 1982, by Columbia Records.-Release history:...
(1964)
- Straight, No Chaser (1966)
- Monk's Miracles (1966)
- Underground
Underground is a 1968 album by Thelonious Monk. It features Monk on piano, Larry Gales on bass, Charlie Rouse on tenor sax, and Ben Riley on drums....
(1967)
- Monk's Blues
Monk's Blues is an album by Thelonious Monk, originally released in 1968. It was re-released on CD in 1994. One of Monk's last recordings, it was produced with a large group of musicians...
(1968)
Other labels
- Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
-Side two:-1999 bonus tracks:-Personnel:* Bill Hardman — trumpet* Johnny Griffin — tenor saxophone* Thelonious Monk — piano* Spanky DeBrest — bass* Art Blakey — drums-Additional personnel:* Nesuhi Ertegün — producer* Earl Brown — recording engineer...
(Atlantic, 1958)
- Thelonious Monk Nonet Live In Paris 1967
Thelonious Monk Nonet Live In Paris 1967 is a live jazz album by Thelonious Monk on France's Concert Records LP FC-113, released in 1988....
(France Concert LP FC-113, 1967)
As sideman
With Coleman HawkinsColeman Randolph Hawkins was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Hawkins was one of the first prominent jazz musicians on his instrument. As Joachim E. Berendt explained, "there were some tenor players before him, but the instrument was not an acknowledged jazz horn"...
- Bean and the Boys (Prestige 7824) 1944
With Milt JacksonMilton "Bags" Jackson was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms...
- Wizard of the Vibes
Wizard of the Vibes is a Blue Note Records compilation of performances by jazz vibraphonist Milt Jackson. The sessions were the work of The Thelonious Monk Quintet and The Modern Jazz Quartet plus Lou Donaldson...
(Milt JacksonMilton "Bags" Jackson was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms...
: 1948 Blue Note recordings)
With Miles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
- Bags' Groove
Bags' Groove is a jazz album recorded by Miles Davis in 1954 for Prestige Records. Both takes of the title track come from a session on December 24, 1954 . The rest of the album was recorded earlier in the year, on 29 June. Bags' Groove is a jazz album recorded by Miles Davis in 1954 for Prestige...
(Prestige, 1954)
- Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (Prestige, 1954)
With Sonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
- Moving Out
-Track listing:All compositions by Sonny Rollins except as indicatedSide one# "Moving Out" - 4:31# "Swingin' for Bumsy" - 5:48# "Silk 'n' Satin" - 4:03Side two# "Solid" - 6:27# "More Than You Know" - 10:48...
(Prestige 7058) 1954 (on one track)
- Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2
Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 is a jazz album by Sonny Rollins, released in 1957 on Blue Note Records, catalogue 1558. Among other things, it is noted for the appearance of pianists Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver, both playing on the same track, the song "Misterioso" by Monk...
(Blue Note, 1957)
With Gigi GryceGigi Gryce was an American saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, educator, and big band bandleader.His performing career was relatively short and, in comparison to other musicians of his...
- Nica's Tempo
Nica's Tempo is an album by Gigi Gryce recorded in 1955. The title track is a reference to Nica de Koenigswarter aka "The Bebop Baroness" or "The Jazz Baroness," a patron of jazz greats such as Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker.-Track listing:#"Speculation" – 4:03 #"In a...
(Savoy, 1955)
With Clark TerryClark Terry is an American swing and bop trumpeter, a pioneer of the fluegelhorn in jazz, educator, NEA Jazz Masters inductee, and recipient of the 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award...
- In Orbit
In Orbit is an album by jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, notably featuring Thelonious Monk as sideman and originally released in 1958.It was Monk's only Riverside appearance as sideman, the first of Terry's recordings on flugelhorn, the first Riverside date with bassist Sam Jones, and the only time...
(Riverside, 1958)
Compilations
- Monk's Greatest Hits (Columbia, 1968)
- Midnight at Minton's
Midnight at Minton's is a 1941 album by jazz musician Don Byas. It is a live recording of a jam session at Minton's Playhouse, the famous New York nightclub at which the emerging style of bebop was being pioneered....
(c.1941, issued 1973 under Don Byas' name. Monk does not play on all tracks of this or the other two CDs of 1941 material)
- After Hours (c.1941, issued 1973 under Charlie Christian's name)
- After Hours in Harlem c.1941, issued 1973 under Hot Lips Page's name
- April in Paris (Monk album)|April in Paris (1981 2-LP set of the 18 April 1961 Paris recordings)
- Monk's Classic Recordings (1983)
- Blues Five Spot (1984, unissued recordings from 1958–61, with various saxophonists and Thad Jones, cornet)
- Something in Blue, Nice Work in London, Blue Sphere and The Man I Love (all 1971 recordings, collected in The London Collection 1988, three CDs)
- The Complete Riverside Recordings of Thelonious Monk (1991, 15 CD, Riverside)
- The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Thelonious Monk
Jazz pianist Thelonious Monk's first sessions as a bandleader were recorded between 1947 and 1952, and released on Blue Note records as a series of 78 RPM singles. These singles were then compiled in later years--with additional performances from the sessions--into long-playing album formats...
(1994, 4 CD, Blue Note)
- Live at Monterey Jazz Festival '63 (sept. 21–2, 1963, MFSL, 2 vols. issued 1996-7)
- Monk Alone: The Complete Solo Studio Recordings of Thelonious Monk 1962-1968 (1998, 2 CD, Sony)
- The Complete Prestige Recordings of Thelonious Monk (2000, 3 CD, Prestige)
- The Columbia Years: '62–'68 (2001, 3 CD, Sony)
- The Complete Vogue Recordings/The Black Lion Sessions (1954–71) (3LP, Mosaic
Mosaic Records is an American specialist jazz record label, founded in 1983 by Michael Cuscuna and Charlie Lourie to issue coherent limited edition box sets of jazz recordings by individual musicians, which had fallen out-of-print...
)
External links