Thelonious Sphere Monk was one of jazz music's greatest composers and improvisers. What he did for jazz music was bring a unique harmonic vocabulary to the piano and a new understanding of single-note syncopation.
Monk was also composer of the greatest jazz tunes ever written which are standards today like "Straight, No Chaser," "Ruby, My Dear," "Round Midnight," "Rhythm-a-ning," "Epistrophy," "Pannonica," "Well You Needn't," "Bemsha Swing," and many others.
Monk's own playing was also something that was very unique and no one could emulate. He had a very strange way of playing, many times he had a very hard touch and had kind of a percussive type of attack on the keys. This type of sound was very strong and his own harmonic sensibility was very dominate in a group. Many times horn players didn't know what to play over Monk's chords because they were unlike anything they have heard.
Monk has also played with some of the greatest jazz musicians to ever step a foot on the bandstand: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Clark Terry, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, among others. Monk's own groups, and in particular, his long running quartet of Charlie Rouse, Ben Riley, and Larry Gales were also fine musicians that have been involved with his music. Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse was really one of the only saxophonists who got inside of his music and turned it inside out. Rouse had a firm grasp of Monk's musical concepts. Check out this interesting partnership in action on the documentary "Straight, No Chaser."
I would like to end this small article with some recommendations for both people new to his music and for people who are already fans but may not know what to buy next. Here is a list of recordings that I have found in my own opinion to be some of his best:
Straight, No Chaser - 1967 Columbia Records
Underground - 1968 Columbia Records
Monk's Music - 1957 Riverside Records
With John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall - 1957, 2005 Blue Note Records
Misterioso - 1958 Riverside Records
Genius Of Modern Music Vols. 1 & 2 - 1947-1952 Blue Note Records
The Complete Prestige Recordings - 1952-1954 Prestige Records
Monk's Dream - 1962 Columbia Records
Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall - 1959 Riverside Records
Monk's own playing was also something that was very unique and no one could emulate. He had a very strange way of playing, many times he had a very hard touch and had kind of a percussive type of attack on the keys. This type of sound was very strong and his own harmonic sensibility was very dominate in a group. Many times horn players didn't know what to play over Monk's chords because they were unlike anything they have heard.
Monk has also played with some of the greatest jazz musicians to ever step a foot on the bandstand: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, John Coltrane, Clark Terry, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, Phil Woods, Johnny Griffin, among others. Monk's own groups, and in particular, his long running quartet of Charlie Rouse, Ben Riley, and Larry Gales were also fine musicians that have been involved with his music. Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse was really one of the only saxophonists who got inside of his music and turned it inside out. Rouse had a firm grasp of Monk's musical concepts. Check out this interesting partnership in action on the documentary "Straight, No Chaser."
I would like to end this small article with some recommendations for both people new to his music and for people who are already fans but may not know what to buy next. Here is a list of recordings that I have found in my own opinion to be some of his best:
Straight, No Chaser - 1967 Columbia Records
Underground - 1968 Columbia Records
Monk's Music - 1957 Riverside Records
With John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall - 1957, 2005 Blue Note Records
Misterioso - 1958 Riverside Records
Genius Of Modern Music Vols. 1 & 2 - 1947-1952 Blue Note Records
The Complete Prestige Recordings - 1952-1954 Prestige Records
Monk's Dream - 1962 Columbia Records
Thelonious Monk Orchestra At Town Hall - 1959 Riverside Records
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