Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his unique improvisational style.
Monk is credited with numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including classics like "'Round Midnight" and "Blue Monk."
Monk's piano technique was characterized by a harsh and percussive touch, often attacking the keys anew for each note.
Biography
Early Life
Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in the United States. He grew up in a musical environment that would shape his future as a jazz pianist and composer. Monk's unique improvisational style and innovative approach to music would later earn him a prominent place in the jazz world.
Career
Monk's career spanned several decades, during which he made significant contributions to the jazz repertoire. He is best known for his compositions such as "'Round Midnight," "Blue Monk," and "Straight, No Chaser." His distinctive playing style was characterized by a percussive touch and unconventional techniques, often described as harsh yet captivating. Monk's artistry was not universally appreciated; some critics found his style challenging, but he remained a pivotal figure in the evolution of jazz. Throughout his career, he recorded numerous albums, including the acclaimed "Genius of Modern Music" and "Brilliant Corners."
Legacy
Monk's impact on jazz was recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a special Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for his innovative musical compositions. In 1986, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz was established to promote jazz education and creativity among young musicians. Monk's legacy continues to influence jazz artists today, and he was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. His contributions to music have solidified his status as one of the most important figures in jazz history, with a lasting influence that resonates through generations of musicians.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
The Man I Love1973
- 1.I Mean You7:47
- 2.The Man I Love5:14
- 3.Ruby My Dear6:07
- 4.Little Rootie Tootie3:50
- 5.Misterioso6:23
- 6.Trinkle Tinkle5:54
- 7.Crepescule With Nellie2:20
Something in Blue1972
- 1.Blue Sphere2:27
- 2.Hackensack7:55
- 3.Nice Work If You Can Get It5:14
- 4.Criss Cross3:44
- 5.Something in Blue6:41
- 6.Evidence5:26
- 7.Jackie-Ing3:30
- 8.Nutty4:41
Monk’s Blues1969
- 1.Let's Cool One3:47
- 2.Reflections4:35
- 3.Rootie Tootie7:35
- 4.Just a Glance at Love2:52
- 5.Brilliant Corners3:52
- 6.Consecutive Seconds2:41
- 7.Monk's Point8:03
- 8.Trinkle Tinkle4:59
- 9.Straight, No Chaser7:20
Underground1968
- 1.Thelonious3:17
- 2.Ugly Beauty7:23
- 3.Raise Four4:37
- 4.Boo Boo’s Birthday5:56
- 5.Easy Street5:53
- 6.Green Chimneys9:00
- 7.In Walked Bud4:17
Straight, No Chaser1967
- 1.Locomotive6:40
- 2.I Didn’t Know About You6:51
- 3.Straight, No Chaser10:33
- 4.Japanese Folk Song11:06
- 5.Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea7:37
- 6.We See8:48
Solo Monk1965
- 1.Dinah2:27
- 2.I Surrender, Dear3:43
- 3.Sweet and Lovely2:58
- 4.North of the Sunset1:50
- 5.Ruby, My Dear5:35
- 6.I'm Confessin'2:36
- 7.I Hadn't Anyone Till You3:17
- 8.Everything Happens to Me3:25
- 9.Monk's Point2:11
- 10.I Should Care1:56
- 11.Ask Me Now4:35
- 12.These Foolish Things3:32
It’s Monk’s Time1964
- 1.Lulu’s Back in Town9:58
- 2.Memories of You6:09
- 3.Stuffy Turkey8:16
- 4.Brake’s Sake12:28
- 5.Nice Work If You Can Get It4:17
- 6.Shuffle Boil7:11
Monk.1964
- 1.Liza4:40
- 2.April in Paris7:55
- 3.Children's Song4:58
- 4.(Just One Way to Say) I Love You6:47
- 5.Just You, Just Me8:44
- 6.Pannonica7:24
- 7.Teo5:25
Criss-Cross1963
- 1.Hackensack4:19
- 2.Tea for Two3:52
- 3.Criss-Cross4:47
- 4.Eronel4:35
- 5.Rhythm-a-ning3:58
- 6.Don’t Blame Me7:11
- 7.Think of One5:23
- 8.Crepuscule With Nellie2:46
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane1961
- 1.Ruby, My Dear6:17
- 2.Trinkle, Tinkle6:37
- 3.Off Minor5:10
- 4.Nutty6:35
- 5.Epistrophy3:07
- 6.Functional9:46
Thelonious Alone in San Francisco1959
- 1.Blue Monk3:41
- 2.Ruby, My Dear3:55
- 3.Round Lights3:33
- 4.Everything Happens to Me5:35
- 5.You Took the Words Right Out of My Heart3:58
- 6.Bluehawk3:37
- 7.Pannonica3:48
- 8.Remember2:36
- 9.There’s Danger in Your Eyes, Cherie4:17
- 10.Reflections5:03
In Orbit1958
Tracklist not collected yet.
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk1958
- 1.Evidence6:42
- 2.In Walked Bud6:38
- 3.Blue Monk7:49
- 4.I Mean You7:58
- 5.Rhythm-a-ning7:16
- 6.Purple Shades7:39
Mulligan Meets Monk1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
Brilliant Corners1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
Thelonious Himself1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Monk1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Unique Thelonious Monk1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Piano Solo1954
Tracklist not collected yet.
Thelonious Monk Plays1954
Tracklist not collected yet.
Thelonious Monk Trio1953
Tracklist not collected yet.
Genius of Modern Music, Volume 21952
Tracklist not collected yet.
Genius of Modern Music, Volume 11951
Tracklist not collected yet.
Jazz After Midnight2013
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Blue Note
- Record label
- Prestige
- Record label
- Columbia Records
- Record label
- Riverside
- Record label
- Charly Records
- Record label
- Fontana Records
Achievements
- Award
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- Award
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Award
- Grammy Hall of Fame
- Award
- Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards
- Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Groups
- Gigi Gryce Quartetcurrent
- The All Star Jazz Reunionpianocurrent
- The Giants of Jazzcurrent
- The Thelonious Monk Orchestraeponymous, original, pianocurrent
- Thelonious Monk Big Bandeponymous, originalcurrent
- Thelonious Monk Noneteponymous, originalcurrent
- Thelonious Monk Quarteteponymous, original, pianocurrent
- Thelonious Monk Quinteteponymous, original, pianocurrent
- Thelonious Monk Septeteponymous, original, pianocurrent
- Thelonious Monk Sexteteponymous, originalcurrent
- Thelonious Monk Trioeponymous, original, pianocurrent
Similar artists
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Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Monk, Monk Thelonious, Monk, Thelonious, Monk, Thelonius, T. Monk, Th. Monk
Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". As of 2009, Monk was the second-most-recorded jazz composer in history, after Duke Ellington.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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