Musicians - Thelonious Monk

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	Musicians - Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer.

He was known for his unique improvisational style and many contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including his classic work 'Round Midnight. While Monk is often regarded as a founder of bebop, his playing style evolved away from the form.

Life and career

Little is known about Monk's early life. He was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk, with a sister named Marian who was two years older. The 1920 US Federal Census lists Thelonious and his father (a laborer) as "Theloins". Monk started playing the piano at the age of six, and while he had some formal training he was essentially self-taught.

By 1930 the family had moved to Manhattan, and Monk attended Stuyvesant High School, but did not graduate.

He briefly toured with an evangelist in his teens, playing the church organ, and in his late teens he began to find work playing jazz; he is believed to be the pianist on some recordings Jerry Newman made around 1941 at Minton's Playhouse, the legendary Manhattan club where Monk had been hired as the house pianist. His style at the time is described as "hard-swinging", with the addition of runs in the style of Art Tatum. Monk's stated influences include Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson, and other early stride pianists.

Monk's unique piano style was largely perfected during his stint as the house pianist at Minton's in the early-to-mid 1940s, when he participated in the famous after-hours "cutting competitions" that featured most of the leading jazz soloists of the day. The Minton's scene was crucial in the formulation of the bebop genre and it brought Monk into close contact and collaboration with other leading exponents of bebop including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Milt Jackson and John Coltrane.

In 1944 Monk made his first studio recordings with the Coleman Hawkins Quartet. He made his first recordings as leader in 1947 and cut the debut LP, 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. Monk, who later became a jazz drummer. A daughter, Barbara, was born in 1953.

In August 1951, New York City police searched a parked car occupied by Monk and friend Bud Powell. 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 Card. 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.

Having recorded several times for Blue Note Records during 1947–52, he was under contract to Prestige Records between (1952–54), with whom he cut several under-recognized but highly significant recordings, including collaborations with saxophonist Sonny Rollins and drummer Art Blakey.

He signed to the Riverside Records label for the rest of the 1950s and his many Riverside recordings are now generally regarded as among the most significant of his career, and which include his collaborations with rising tenor saxophone superstar John Coltrane.

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Musicians - Thelonious Monk

Life and career

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