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02-28-2020, 04:11 PM #1joelf Guest
I think Robin D.G. Kelley's Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original (2009, Free Press) to be one of the finest biographies of a jazz musician I've read. Mr. Kelley's research is exhaustive, and Monk is neither exhalted nor demonized, but humanized (as is his family and peer jazz greats and near-greats). It is eminently readable (small print warning, though), so much so I've been through it maybe 10 times now, and it never gets old.
Just started Leslie Gourse's Straight, No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk (1998, Schirmer Trade). It looks promising, too.
I recommend both.
Let the thread go where it will about Monk the musician...
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02-28-2020 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by joelf
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have the gourse book since it was issued...pretty good/entertaining with the historical facts and events, but a bit naive overall...the authors a bit too "straight"(no chaser) to have a full understanding of an iconoclast like monk
the best monk bio? his early blue note recordings say it all!!
cheers
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Originally Posted by joelf
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^ that was great!! and exactly what i meant as iconoclast monk!!^
thanks david b...great artifact!
charlie christian spoiled him for all other guitarists!! haha
cheers
ps- i believe the very first recorded 'evidence" of monk was with charlie christian...and don byas...1941
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02-28-2020, 07:04 PM #7joelf Guest
Just started the Gourse. I may end up agreeing with yiz, who knows?. We shall see, and I'll give it a chance. So far not at all bad.
Off-topic, but related: Lush Life (David Hajdu), about Strayhorn, is IMO also one of the finest I've read...
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02-28-2020, 08:13 PM #8joelf GuestOriginally Posted by pcjazz
It's still available, and generous portions are on youtube...
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02-28-2020, 08:23 PM #9joelf GuestOriginally Posted by David B
And I was surprised and delighted to find this:
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great clip..monk is in his own hip beautiful world...a true artist..hes zen
but, the pain of hand held mic interviews!! ugh
cheers
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Originally Posted by joelf
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Originally Posted by joelf
The other one I was not aware of and will keep an eye out for it.
As for Monk the musician, I have always found him difficult. Maybe other people can listen to him easily but I find it necessary to mull over and chew on to try to come to any understanding (Except for Round Midnight). I thought that perhaps Miles Okazaki's rendering of 70 Monk pieces might make him more accessible to me, bringing it down to one instrument that I understand well. No such luck! Monk is still a puzzle to me. I don't know that there has been a knottier composer and musician in all of jazz. And Miles O did not go out of his way to try to make Monk any easier; his performance of those pieces is stark and almost brutal in it's nakedness. I don't think I would've had the guts which is probably one of many reasons why Miles is a great guitarist and I am not.
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Try listening to Monk on solo piano, I find this a good way to hear his compositions. Thelonious Alone In San Francisco is a good one, they recorded him on a decent piano in a hall with nice acoustics:
Last edited by grahambop; 02-29-2020 at 08:16 AM.
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On guitar I like Peter Bernstein’s ‘Monk’ record, he gets a nice balance of melodic playing while retaining some of Monk’s ‘knottiness’. Unfortunately I don’t think it is available currently, the record label folded or something.
There are a few videos of him playing Monk tunes on YouTube however.
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Another favourite of mine, Steve Lacy ‘Reflections’. The pianist is Mal Waldron.
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Originally Posted by grahambop
The only Monk album I have is Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Monk...I haven’t listened to it for awhile, but as I recall it is eminently entertaining and approachable.
I came across this quote about Monk in later life, when he was probably struggling from mental illness (and/or over-medicated):
Bassist Al McKibbon, 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 Blakey and I were so ugly."
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Monk is sort of like jazz, but with improvements.
that interview is brilliant. Feather was such a square haha
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Originally Posted by grahambop
you know Peter is massively influenced by Monk. I think his solo playing has that ugly beauty in it. This elevates it for me, so much pretty guitar music out there. It cuts through to something more essential.
i think very many of the genius musicians have some almost anti musical/raw or almost awkward aspect to them which makes them super musical if that makes any sense - Beethoven, Dylan, Lennon, Bjork, Miles, Maria Callas and Monk...
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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the great bobby broom has a nice recording of monk tunes- plays for monk
here's in walked bud
cheers
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02-29-2020, 03:48 PM #21joelf GuestOriginally Posted by grahambop
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Originally Posted by joelf
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Liv...3007182&sr=8-1
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Originally Posted by christianm77
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02-29-2020, 05:09 PM #24joelf GuestOriginally Posted by PMB
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02-29-2020, 06:30 PM #25joelf Guest
Some props for Peter Leitch, with Off Minor:
Please Recommend Me Some Beginner Solos/Heads to...
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