Thelonious Monk was born in North Carolina on October 10, 1917. His family moved to New York in 1922. Early on, Monk received no formal training on the piano. He started out playing by ear, but was later taught lessons and studied at Juliard. When he was 17 he toured the US was an evangelist. Duke Ellington was one of his greatest influences.
Here is a 1966 performance in Norway.
Art Blakey Art Farmer Benny Golson Billy Cobham Charlie Hunter Charlie Parker Chick Corea Clark Terry Coleman Hawkins Count Basie Dexter Gordon Don Byas Don Cherry Eddie Lockjaw Davis Elvin Jones Eric Dolphy Ferenc Nemeth George Duke Gilfema Gregoire Maret Herbie Hancock Jaco Pastorius Jimmy Garrison Joe Zawinul John Coltrane John Scofield Keith Jarrett Kenny Drew Kenny Kirkland Lee Morgan Lionel Loueke Marcus Miller Massimo Biolcati McCoy Tyner Miles Davis Oscar Peterson Patrick Bettison Richard Bona Ron Carter Sonny Rollins Teddy Wilson Thad Jones Tony Williams Wayne Shorter Weather Report
Dear lovelyn,
Nice entry on Monk! My name is Peter Ricci, and I am a college student and writer who is currently contributing to an upstart online magazine called ‘Too Shy to Stop,’ which focuses on culture and the arts.
I came across your entry, as it would turn out, while conducting research for an essay on Thelonious Monk! I specifically look at the history and characteristics behind Monk, and argue that he personified all of the grandest traditions of jazz as an American art form.
So, check it out here (http://tooshytostop.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/the-obtuse-brilliance-of-thelonious-monk/) and leave a comment! I think you’ll enjoy it, and I always love to read input from readers.
Sincerely,
Peter Ricci