Thelonious Monk Bio and General Thread

[joelf]

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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[pcjazz]

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 agree with Joel about the Kelley and Gourse books. I also liked Robert Dobbin's translation of Thomas Fitterling's Thelonious Monk: His Life and Music and the collection edited by my former colleague Rob van der Bliek, The Thelonious Monk Reader. Also, and perhaps above all, Bruce Ricker's documentary, Straight , No Chaser, which I hope is still available on DVD.

[neatomic]

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

[PMB]

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...

https://www.amazon.com/Thelonious-Mo.../dp/1439190461


https://www.amazon.com/s?k=theloniou...ref=nb_sb_noss

Robin D.G. Kelley's biography is exemplary. There must have been something I disliked about Leslie Gourse's book as I sold it sometime ago. From memory, it had a cursory, journalistic feel and the best thing about it was the description of tunes in the appendix. I nearly kept my copy for that reason alone but Kelley does a fine job in that department as well. I was lucky to find a cheap DVD of Bruce Ricker/Charlotte Zwerin's film, Straight No Chaser recently and it's as good as I remember it with some unforgettable footage of Monk.

[David B]

[neatomic]

^ 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

[joelf]

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...

[joelf]

Also, and perhaps above all, Bruce Ricker's documentary, Straight , No Chaser, which I hope is still available on DVD.

DId Bruce Ricker produce that? It was a Charlotte Zwerin film. My friend Bernadine Colish, who worked a lot with Zwerin, was the music editor.

It's still available, and generous portions are on youtube...

[joelf]

I remember that blindfold test. A classic, and it cracked me up. Monk wouldn't cooperate and did it his way, leaving Feather flustered.

And I was surprised and delighted to find this:

[neatomic]

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

[pcjazz]

DId Bruce Ricker produce that? It was a Charlotte Zwerin film. My friend Bernadine Colish, who worked a lot with Zwerin, was the music editor.

It's still available, and generous portions are on youtube...

Zwerin directed it and co-produced with Ricker; Clint Eastwood was exec producer. A great film.

[Cunamara]

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.

I think that Kelley's book is one of the very best biographies I have ever read. His research is impeccable, his writing is readable and he does an admirable job of placing Monk in context both in his personal life as well as his role in jazz (and how his personal and professional life intersected). It's really an exemplary piece of work in my opinion.

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.

[grahambop]

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:

[grahambop]

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.

[grahambop]

Another favourite of mine, Steve Lacy ‘Reflections’. The pianist is Mal Waldron.

[Doctor Jeff]

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:

That’s beautiful. As you all probably know, Pannonica was Ms. de Koenigswarter, who was his patron and muse as well as Charlie Parker’s. One hears echoes of Debussy in that, as well as Art Tatum, and it sounds like it might have influenced Bill Evans among others.

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."

[christianm77]

Monk is sort of like jazz, but with improvements.

that interview is brilliant. Feather was such a square haha

[christianm77]

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.

this is a very good record.

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...

[grahambop]

this is a very good record.

you know Peter is massively influenced by Monk.

I managed to find this track on YouTube from his ‘Monk’ record:

[neatomic]

the great bobby broom has a nice recording of monk tunes- plays for monk

here's in walked bud

cheers

[joelf]

Another favourite of mine, Steve Lacy ‘Reflections’. The pianist is Mal Waldron.

Then there's the pianoless all-Monk session w/Lacy and the late Charles Davis. Will post later...

[PMB]

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...

Yes, the Hadju's very good and this more analytical survey of Strayhorn's work looks like a worthwhile addition:

https://www.amazon.com/Something-Liv...3007182&sr=8-1

[PMB]

this is a very good record.

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...

My thoughts exactly and a great list! There's a real sense of struggle with both PB and Monk - you can hear it in their hesitation of attack (almost surgical once it arrives) and the way they both grunt along with their improvisations.

[joelf]

Yes, the Hadju's very good and this more analytical survey of Strayhorn's work looks like a worthwhile addition:

https://www.amazon.com/Something-Liv...3007182&sr=8-1

Thanks for mentioning that. I have the van de Leur also. A must have for any serious Strayhorn devotee...

[joelf]

Some props for Peter Leitch, with Off Minor: