Thelonious Monk - Thelonious Monk Plays Standards--Volume 2 (Songbook): Piano Transcriptions

For many years, misunderstood and criticized, the art of Thelonious Monk is now regarded as key when the evolution of jazz is discussed and chronicled.

He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in 1917, and at the age of four, his family moved to New York. In his early twenties, Monk was already playing in various bands in the city, as well as participating in the jam sessions at Mintons Playhouse, the club where the earliest experiments in the music later called bebop occurred. He made his first recordings with Coleman Hawkins in 1944, and trumpeter/bandleader Cootie Williams recorded his song Round Midnight that same year. Monk later joined Dizzy Gillespies big band and continued to compose. In 1947, he began the first in a series of recordings for the Blue Note label, where his unusual compositions and playing style were first heard in their purest form. This important series ended in 1952. Although the records did not sell well during this period, many are now regarded as masterpieces.

Monk signed with Prestige Records in 1952, but his records sold so poorly that his contract was sold to Riverside Records in 1955. Although producer Orrin Keepnews initially had Monk record music by other composers, by the third album in the contract, Thelonious returned to playing his own music. By 1957, his career was in full swing, and his albums and club and television appearances were highly praised. He had John Coltrane in his group for a few months, and Coltrane later said that playing with Monk was a stimulating and educational experience (a private recording of the group performing at the Five Spot sold very well when it was made available in the early 90s). Another high point for Monk was his appearance with a tentet at New Yorks Town Hall (also recorded by Riverside) with arrangements by Hall Overton. In some of the arrangements, Overton transcribed and scored some of Monks solos for the group.

By 1962, Monk had become such an important artist that Columbia Records signed him to a contract. His picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1964, and he toured all over the world. Usually he played in a quartet setting, although during one important European tour, he played with an all-star octet. However, by 1970, hed broken up his regular group and toured with the Giants of Jazz, which included Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, Al McKibbon and Art Blakey. After a few sporadic performances in the next few years, he retired by the end of the decade. He died at the home of his patron and friend Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, in 1982.

Monk had a profound influence on jazz from the late forties onward. His pianistic approach, rooted in the stride style of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, embraced modes, whole tones, clusters and polytonality. His compositions remain an important resource in the jazz repertoire, with many of his tunes now considered standards and part of every improvising musicians library. His music will continue to delight and challenge every serious jazz musician in decades to come.

All Alone

Words and Music by Irving Berlin

Body and Soul

Words by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton
Music by John Green

Darn That Dream

Lyric by Eddie De Lange
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen

Honeysuckle Rose

from AINT MISBEHAVIN

Words by Andy Razaf
Music by Thomas Fats Waller