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Thelonious Monk
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Rocky Mount NC, United States (1917 – 1982)
Thelonious Sphere Monk (Rocky Mount, North Carolina 10th October 1917 - Hartsdale, New York 17th February 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer.
Widely considered as one of the most important musicians in jazz — he is one of only five jazz musicians to be featured on the cover of Time — Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including “Epistrophy,” “‘Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” “Straight No Chaser” and “Well, You Needn’t.”
Often regarded as a founder of bebop, Monk’s playing style later evolved away from that form. His compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, and are impossible to separate from Monk’s unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of silences and hesitations; a style nicknamed “Melodious Thunk” by his wife Nellie.
Early life
Monk was born 10th October 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk, two years after his sister Marian. A brother, Thomas, was born a couple of years later. In 1922, the family moved to 243 West 63rd Street, in Manhattan. Monk started playing the piano at the age of six. Although he had some formal training and eavesdropped on his sister’s piano lessons, he was essentially self-taught. 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.
Widely considered as one of the most important musicians in jazz — he is one of only five jazz musicians to be featured on the cover of Time — Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including “Epistrophy,” “‘Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” “Straight No Chaser” and “Well, You Needn’t.”
Often regarded as a founder of bebop, Monk’s playing style later evolved away from that form. His compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, and are impossible to separate from Monk’s unorthodox approach to the piano, which combined a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of silences and hesitations; a style nicknamed “Melodious Thunk” by his wife Nellie.
Early life
Monk was born 10th October 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk, two years after his sister Marian. A brother, Thomas, was born a couple of years later. In 1922, the family moved to 243 West 63rd Street, in Manhattan. Monk started playing the piano at the age of six. Although he had some formal training and eavesdropped on his sister’s piano lessons, he was essentially self-taught. 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.
Top Albums
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Thelonious Monk from A to Z, Vol.2
Thelonious MonkBuy- Download Album
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The Columbia Years (1962-1968) (disc 2)
Thelonious Monk
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious MonkBuy- Download Album
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Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1
Thelonious Monk Buy- Download Album
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Top Tracks
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'Round Midnight
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Epistrophy
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Ruby, My Dear
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Evidence
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Pannonica
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In Walked Bud
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April In Paris
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Well You Needn't
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Off Minor
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Thelonious
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Shoutbox
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la_tisha wrote:
<3
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IneenRoes wrote:
One of the few artists you'll recognize after only a few notes... Amazing stuff!
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marbley wrote:
monk da man
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metallichadas wrote:
va va vy va..
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crayolathief wrote:
First time I heard Monk I thought he had barbed wire in his piano. Which I've come to learn he does, but it's really first-rate barbed wire.
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MissClarck wrote:
Hi, I just want to present you this new afrogroove band call Bantunanu..Awesome http://www.lastfm.fr/music/Bantunani They need support from every meloman due to their engaged lyrics... Regards,
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Est1885 wrote:
Such delightfully twisted melodies.
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R0b0hobo wrote:
I started with Straight No Chaser and never looked back.
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Sandronic wrote:
Ежель Москвичи, то: Нужны люди для hop, funky, jazzy проекта - http://www.lastfm.ru/group/%D0%9D%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8B+%D0%BB%D1%8E%D0%B4%D0%B8+%D0%B4%D0%BB%D1%8F+hop%2C+funky%2C+jazzy++%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B0
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lordinfamous wrote:
Monk!
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2Serenity wrote:
Wonderful documentary about Thelonious Monk on HBO. See here - > http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/jazzbaroness/index.html
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bassbuddha wrote:
Off Minor expresses the quirkiness and genius I love the most. He gets into interesting time signatures and AMAZING improvise.
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tridentgum0 wrote:
This man is the fucking shit.
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MisterJunior wrote:
Try Monk's Music, Monk's Dream or Thelonious Monk Trio.
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Priamus wrote:
Which album is good one for the start?
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CocoaDusted wrote:
Thelonious Sphere Monk= The coolest name ever crafted.
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Cozfunkel wrote:
I would but I have no idea how to when I cover has already been uploaded
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MisterJunior wrote:
Someone should put the right cover art up for Brilliant Corners. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks this.
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lewymcgee wrote:
the coolest man that ever did live
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nunosantosdias wrote:
happy 92nd anniversary, mr. monk!
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