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Monk was noted for his odd stage behavior, including a seemingly improvisational dance he performed during others' solos.
For years, they were telling me to play commercial, be commercial. I'm not commercial. I say, play your own way. You play what you want, and let the public pick up on what you were doing, even if it takes 15, 20 years.
early 1960s
October 10, 2007 - When you hear his name, you can expect to hear some of the most original and challenging music of the 20th century. Whether it's his dissonant chords or his uncanny sense of space and syncopation, pianist and composer Thelonious Monk's sound is easily recognizable. He left behind a legacy that has had a lasting influence on modern music and fellow musicians.
Born Oct. 10, 1917, Monk grew up in Manhattan in the '20s and '30s, with great stride pianists such as James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington within earshot. Monk loved stride piano because it allowed him to infuse his playing with surprise and humor. Critic and writer Stanley Crouch calls Monk "an abstracted stride piano player ... he played it in a way that made it funny."
During the '40s, Monk was dubbed "The High Priest of Bop," and along with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker he led a generation of musicians through the bebop era.
Monk was almost as well-known for his unpredictable behavior as for his unique musical techniques. He would get up from the piano and dance around the bandstand, and was often labeled as aloof, eccentric and weird. Even Monk's son, drummer T.S. Monk, described his father as an "unusual guy." Critics dismissed Monk, and even ridiculed him, but he persevered despite the bad press.
In 1951, after doing jailtime for drug possession, he was banned from performing in New York clubs. With the help of jazz patron Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, he was able to win back his right to play again.
Monk's career took off with the recording of Brilliant Corners, and his work at the Five Spot in New York also helped win him a new following and reputation. He landed a contract with Columbia Records — at the time, one of only a handful of jazz artists to do so — and was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Almost six years before his death, Monk stopped playing. No one knows why, although some speculate that there were health reasons. He spent most of those final years alone at the home of the Baroness. Monk died of a stroke on Feb. 17, 1982.
It took years for the jazz world to understand Monk's contribution to the genre, but now his tunes rank among the most-played jazz compositions; his classic ballad "'Round Midnight" is one of the most familiar themes in all of jazz. With numerous tributes and awards for his work, as well as legions of faithful fans, Monk has earned a unique place in the pantheon of American music.
Link to NPR's Basic Jazz Record Library:
Coleman Hawkins gave Monk his first recording opportunity. Monk gave John Coltrane a spot in his quartet for a year and change. Both pioneering tenor saxophonists appeared on this 1957 record date for a reading of this current standard (Coltrane is the first soloist).
Thelonious Monk will always be remembered as a great composer, though he was also a magnificently quirky interpreter of others' works. This cut comes from a 1955 recording of Duke Ellington's works, and also displays Monk as an exceptional solo stylist.
For the bulk of the 1960s, Monk brought Charlie Rouse into his quartet. The tenor saxophonist had a sharp, cutting tone which meshed well with the pianist's phrasings. This recording, another Monk original, comes from 1962, when he was a rare breed for his time and ever since: a jazz artist signed to a major label (Columbia Records).
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