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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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The Columbia Years (1962-1968) (disc 2)
Thelonious Monk
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious MonkBuy- Download Album
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- Amazon $45.99
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Genius of Modern Music, Volume 1
Thelonious Monk Buy- Download Album
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Monk's Dream
Thelonious MonkBuy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes $7.92
- Buy Album
- Amazon $34.98
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Top Tracks
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'Round Midnight
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Blue Monk
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Ruby, My Dear
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Epistrophy
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Straight, No Chaser
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Pannonica
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Monk's Mood
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Brilliant Corners
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Evidence
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Bemsha Swing
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In Walked Bud
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April In Paris
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Off Minor
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Thelonious
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Bye-Ya
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Shoutbox
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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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Inci90 wrote:
@semenretentum you're not deep enough.
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semenretentum wrote:
lol at free jazz
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imagoprod wrote:
New Album of Thelonious Monk with Paul Jeffrey Featuring: Thelonious Monk (p), Paul Jeffrey, Charlie Rouse (ts), Larry Ridley, Dave Holland, Larry Gales (b), T.S. Monk, Ben Riley (d). The 1975 Lincold Center concert presented here was Thelonious Monk’s last recorded performance ever, either live or in studio. Along with the 1972 Village Vanguard sets (his only preserved works with Dave Holland), these are also Monk’s last quartet recordings. Available in amazon
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MisterJunior wrote:
Why is the album cover for Brilliant Corners now something it looks like a high school kid made with Photoshop? Please bring back the real album art.
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schneckenmaus wrote:
Jump Monk ! A great artist.
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nikved wrote:
Monk is a GIANT!
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Scentlesss wrote:
That's right Ivica!
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Listeners
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Leon_OGood
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billybatson
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cscottdee
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Recent Activity
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holgeryeah, billevanspiano, blueakvarel and 2 other people added Thelonious Monk to their libraries. 3 hours ago
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m_stolpovsky tagged Thelonious Monk with bebop, jazz piano, piano and one other tag. yesterday evening
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windhovergyre tagged Thelonious Monk with free jazz, jazz piano, bebop and 2 other tags. Sunday morning
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borririno tagged Thelonious Monk with hard bop and bebop. Saturday evening
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Groups (157)
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Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
89 members
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Freddie Hubbard
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Bill Evans Piano Fan
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Round Midnight
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