Biography of Thelonious Monk

Only Duke Ellington and arguably Charles Mingus are the equals of Thelonious Monk as a composer. His works forced musicians to exert themselves to their fullest, put a premium on surprise, and demonstrated a harmonic knowledge and musical sophistication that fooled those who'd tabbed him a witless recluse or just an eccentric personality. His piano playing was just as subtle and unpredictable, with odd phrases, unexpected pauses, tempo changes, and melodic quirks that always came together at the end to make a coherent, memorable statement. Monk began playing piano at 11, backing his mother's vocals in church, and he became a professional in the late 30s, gaining the job of house pianist at Minton's in 1939. He worked with many in the emerging bop generation, laying down what would become the vocabulary of the 40s. He was part of the group hired by Coleman Hawkins in 1944 to make some of the earliest bop recordings. But his career was plagued by personal and political problems. He made many superb recordings with Atlantic, Savoy, Verve, Blue Note, and Riverside but didn't debut on a so-called major label until 1962, when he was signed by Columbia. His stint there was a stormy one, and the label in fact didn't issue most of his finest live material until he died. Toward the end of his career, Monk became a celebrated elder statesman, and he was honored in 1978 at a Jazz Party held at the White House by President Jimmy Carter. Several Mosaic sets issued since his death chronicle his greatness, while artists from McCoy Tyner to NRBQ's Terry Adams hail his genius. ~ Ron Wynn