Global InformationThelonious Monk information
Thelonious Monk | |
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 Monk at Minton's Playhouse, New York, 1947 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thelious Monk Jr.[1] |
| Born | October 10, 1917 Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 1982 (aged 64) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1933–1976[2] |
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| Website | theloniousmonkmusic.com |
Thelonious Sphere Monk[3] (/θəˈloʊniəs/, October 10, 1917[4] – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.[5]
Monk's compositions and improvisations feature dissonances and angular melodic twists and are consistent with his unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations.
Monk's distinct look included suits, hats, and sunglasses. He also had an idiosyncratic habit during performances: while other musicians continued playing, Monk would stop, stand up, and dance for a few moments before returning to the piano.[6]
Monk is one of five jazz musicians to have been featured on the cover of Time (the others being Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, and Wynton Marsalis).[7]
- ^ Solis, Gabriel (2007). Monk's Music: Thelonious Monk and Jazz History in the Making. University of California Press. pp. 19–20. ISBN 9780520940963.
- ^ Kelley, Robin (2009), pp. 35, 442.
- ^ "Thelonious Monk (American musician)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ Kelley, Robin (2010). Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original. London: JR Books. p. 1. The source identifies the date of Monk's fortieth birthday in 1957.
- ^ Giddins, Gary; DeVeaux, Scott (2009). Jazz. New York: W.W. Norton; ISBN 978-0-393-06861-0
- ^ Graham, David (October 18, 2017). "Thelonious Monk's Quiet, Slow Conquest of the World". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
- ^ Lea, Nick (April 21, 2023). "Jazz on The Cover of TIME Magazine". Jazzfuel. Retrieved August 22, 2023.