Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10th 1917 - February 17th 1982) was a pianist of American Jazz known for its style of single improvisation, like to have written many standard of the repertory of the jazz.

Whereas Monk is often regarded as one of the founders of the Bebop, the evolution of its personal style in made move away. It is difficult besides to establish a filiation even if its play pianistic (enough traditional in the ballades) refers to the play stride years 1920/1930 and if its influence can be detected in many more recent musicians.

Biography

Born in Rocky in North Carolina, its family is established with Manhattan in 1922. It starts to play of the piano at 6 years and although it took some courses, it is regarded as a Autodidacte. At 12 years, it accompanies with the Harmonium his mother who sings in the church Baptist of her district. In 17 years, it takes part in the round of a evangelist.

It follows courses in Stuyvesant High School but will be never graduate.

Its beginnings

It then starts to find work as musician of jazz; it appears on recordings of Jerry Newman realized around 1941 with the Minton' S Playhouse, a club of Harlem, where Monk was engaged as pianist. Its very personal style creates sensation, and attracts large time, like Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell or Charlie Parker.

In 1944, Monk records in studio for the first time with the four-bit byte of Coleman Hawkins. Hawkins will help Monk at its beginning of career, and Monk will return the similar one to him by inviting it to join him at session with John Coltrane in 1957. In 1947, it records for the first time under its name for the label Blue notes, these recording already emphasize its talents of type-setter. The same year, it Marie with Nellie Smith. From their union will be born a son, T.S Monk (in 1949), which will become later beater of Jazz then a girl, Barbara (in 1953).

In August 1951, the police force of New York discovers drug in the car of Monk and Powell. Drug is supposed to belong to Powell but Monk refusing to testify against his/her friend, is seen confiscating his chart enabling him to play in the clubs of New York.

Monk thus passes the majority of the Fifties to compose, record, it also plays in some theaters.

After its recordings for Blue Notes of 1947 to 1952, Monk signs with the label Prestige for two years. It there records some albums and collaborates with Sony Rollins and Art Blakey. In 1954 it also takes part in the albums of Miles Davis: Bags' Groove and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants.

In 1954, Monk arrives for the first time to Europe (he plays and records in Paris). It meets the baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, “Nica”, family member Rothschild off England and patron of several musician of NewYorkais Jazz. She will remain an intimate friend during all her life.

Time Riverside/Columbia

At the time to sign for the label Riverside, Monk was recognized by the medium of the jazz but did not sell many albums: its music was seen like not very accessible by the general public. Riverside manages to convince Monk to record two albums containing only its interpretations of the standards of the Jazz.

The play of Monk is characterized by many dissonant notes placed very well.

Then, with time this technique of play becomes intentional and systematic, and Thelonious Monk is not seen any more playing differently.

Monk carries out many rounds and recordings in the Années 1950 and 1960, but disappears from the scene at the beginning of the Années 1970. Its last recording goes back to November 1971 and it is seldom assembled in scene during the last decade of its life.

He died in 1982 at Pannonica de Koenigswarter and was buried with the Ferncliff cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. After its death, its music was redécouverte by a larger audience and he is now considered at the sides of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and others like a major figure of the history of the jazz.

Anecdotes

• the titles of the pieces of Thelonious Monk were often decided after the recording of the latter, giving place has meetings of collective headaches.
• Ainsi the title of Let' S cal this comes from the perplexity of Monk, which after having recorded the title repeated automatically: “Let' S cal this… let' S cal this…” ( Appelons it… let us call it… )
• Think off One was called thus by the expression of the lassitude of Thelonious Monk. After the recording this last, tired to off think of a title, known as with his/her collaborator “Think one”, which means “Seek one”. These are the three words which will be selected.
• Thelonious Monk undoubtedly accepted the nickname of Melodious Thonk … because of its manner of playing, at the same time melody and dissonant.

Compositions

(incomplete list)

Important recordings

Of sound living already, more than 50 discs of Thelonious Monk were published, under its name or under the name of other musicians. Since its death, other recordings were made available: for example in 2005 a new live with John Coltrane. A complete listing of the recordings available is thus difficult to propose. Here most significant:

Albums

• 1948 : Genius Off Modern Music vol. 1 (Blue Notes)
• 1952: Genius Off Modern Music vol. 2 (Blue Notes)
• 1954: Miles Davis: Miles Davis And The Modern Jazz Giants (Prestige)
• 1957: Shining Corners (Riverside)
• 1957: The Thelonious Monk Four-bit byte With John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall (Blue Notes, 2005)
• 1957: Thelonious Alone In San Francisco (Riverside)
• 1959: The Thelonious Monk Orchestrated At Town Hall (Riverside)
• 1963: Criss Cross-country race (Columbia)
• 1964: Monk Big Band & Four-bit byte In Concert (Columbia)
• 1964: It' S Monk' S time (Columbia)
• 1965: Solo Monk (Columbia)
• 1968: Underground (Columbia)
• 1971: The London Collection vol. I+II (Black Lion)

Compilations

• 1991 : The Best Off Thelonious Monk. The Blue Notes Years (1947-1952, Blue Note)
• 2001: The Columbia Years: '62- '68 (1962-1968, Sony)
• 2002: Thelonious Monk 85th Birthday Celebration (1952-1961, ZYX Music)

Others

There exists many other discs on which the compositions of Monk occupy a determining place. Here are some:

• Steve Lacy : Reflections (1958, New Jazz/OJC)

• Steve Kahn: Obviousness (1980, Novus)
• Sphere: Furnace In One (1982, Elektra)
• Roswell Rudd/Misha Mengelberg: Regeneration (1982, Soul Notes)
• Arthur Blythe: Light Blue (1983, Columbia)
• Verschiedene: That' S The Way I Feel Now (1984, A&M)
• Kronos Four-bit byte: Monk Continuation (1985, Nonesuch)
• Steve Lacy: Only Monk (1985, Soul Notes)
• Anthony Braxton: Six Monk' S Compositions (1987, Holy Black)
• Paul Motian: Monk In Motian (1988, jmt)
• Carmen McRae: Carmen Sings Monk (1988, Novus)
• Steve Lacy: More Monk (1989, Soul Notes)
• Bebop & Beyond: Plays Thelonious Monk (1990, Blue Moon)
• T.J.Kirk: Yew Furnace Was One (1996, Warner Bros.)
• Esbjörn Svensson Trio: Plays Monk (1996, ACT)
• Alexander von Schlippenbach: Plays Monk (1997, enja)
• T.S.Monk: Monk One Monk (1997, N2K)
• Verschiedene: Blue Monk: Blue Notes Plays Monk' S Music (1999, Blue Note)
• Wynton Marsalis: Standard Time, vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk (1999, Columbia)
• Alexander von Schlippenbach: Monk' S Casino (2005, Intakt)

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