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Monk, Thelonious
Sphere (born: Thelious Junior)
October 10, 1920
This pianist/composer/band leader was born in
Rocky Mount, NC. He lived in New York City from infancy and studied
privately from1939.
Like Bud Powell, Monk learned much from MaryLou
Williams. He made jazz history by inventing an entirely new basis
for (jazz) music improvisation, performance and composition.
By April 1, 1942 Monk's Epistrophy (written with Kenny Clarke
and Cootie Williams) had been recorded by Cootie Williams and
His Orchestra in Chicago. Monk transcended the limits of the
new post-World War II music (Be bop) and was able to influence
succeeding generations of musicians in the areas of structure,
harmony and rhythm. Gunther Schuller has called him "an
urgent genius". His genius (eccentricity) kept him in relative
obscurity until the 50s. Major jazz figures did not want to record
or perform with him (e.g. Miles Davis) because they would not
or could not follow his lead. The early exceptions were Milt
Jackson, Max Roach, Art Blakey & Oscar Pettiford. Later Sonny
Rollins, Johnny Griffin, Gerry Mulligan and even New Orleans
clarinetist Pee Wee Russell took the plunge. And finally John
Coltrane's genius was up to the challenge.
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Charles Mingus, Roy Haynes Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker.
But until the 50s Monk lacked acceptance by
the public and major recording companies. Monk never took the
obvious path, preferring instead an angular, dissonant approach
that matched his dancing on stage and headware off stage. He extended
traditional harmony to its limit. He reached into tradition, especially
the stride piano tradition, and brought out modern new ideas that
are as new and urgent today as when he invented them. Watching
him at a downtown club in Milwaukee in 1967 he was like one-man
conservatory teaching both the tenor Charlie Rouse and drummer
Frankie Dunlop new rhythmic and harmonic approaches on the spot.
Although there weren't any pianists who openly
swallowed his teachings whole, (That is, pianists who openly imitated
Monk's playing as the young Dizzy Gillespie imitated Roy Eldridge.)
however Monk's influence extends to Keith Jarret, Cecil Taylor,
Randy Weston & Stan Tracy.
Beyond his pianistic genius, Monk the big band
innovator and leader is represented in concert recordings at Town
Hall 1959 on Riverside 12-300 and at Lincoln Center's Philharmonic
Hall in 1963 on Columbia 8964 & 35720.
Monk's outstanding compositions include:
Epistrophy
Monk's Mood
Crepescule with Nellie
Off Minor
Thelonious
Little Rootie Tootie
Bye-Ya
Hackensack
Evidence
Stuffy Turkey
Always Know
Round Midnight (Round About Midnight)
Misterioso
Straight No Chaser
Friday the 13th
Nutty
Brilliant Corners
Bemsha Swing (with Denzil Best)
Blue Monk
Ruby My Dear
Rhythm-a-ning
Recommened Recordings:
"Genius of Modern Music" Vol. I Riverside 1510 (LP)
"Genius of Modern Music" Vol. II Riverside 1511 (LP)
"Work!" w/ Sonny Rollins, t Prestige 7169
"Brilliant Corners" w/ Sonny Rollins, t; Ernie Henry,
a; Clark Terry, tpt Riverside 12 226 (LP)
"The Unique..."w/ Oscar Pettiford, bs; Art Blakey,
drums Riverside 9209 (LP)
"Alone In San Francisco" (solo/live at the Black
Hawk) Riverside 312 (LP)
"Mulligan Meets Monk" w/ Wilbur Ware, bs; Shadow
Wilson, drums Riverside 12 247 (LP)
."..At Town Hall" big band w/ Donald Byrd, tpt; Charlie
Rouse, t; Sam Jones, bs; Art Taylor, drums Riverside 12
300
"Criss-Cross" w/ Charlie Rouse. t; Frankie Dunlop,
drums; John Ore, bs Col 8838
"It's Monk's Time" Charlie Rouse, t; Butch Warren,
bs; Ben Riley, drums Col 8984 (LP)
"Monk" (solo) Col 9091
Big Band and Quartet "In Concert" (live in Philharmonic
Hall, NY)w/ Charlie Rouse, t; Butch Warren, bs; Frankie Dunlop,
drums;Thad Jones, cor; Steve Lacy, t; Gene Quill: br, bs cl, cl;
Phil Woods, a & cl; Eddie Bert, tbn Col 8964
"Always Know" (same as above: Quartet & Monk's
best big band) Col 35 720
Jazz Innovators
Cecilia This Week
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Cecilia This Week
Bill Munger, Director
http://cecilia-this-week.com
gene_debs2000@yahoo.com
Established May 1, 2000