Thelonious Monk: American Composer

My Dad loved Jazz. From Big Band to Be-Bop to Fusion. Anything but Kenny G and his ilk.

[@ignatzfarquad7535]

The hippest human being who ever walked the earth. His utter greatness can never be overestimated. Listening to Monk ensures human happiness.

[@dme1016]

Kind of going overboard there a bit, chief, aren't you? Monk was Monk, which had it's uniqueness, but nothing more than that. Really vad optics when he played....hands that looked frozen. Somehow, he made it work.

[@josephwitkowski6665]

Amen!

[@kieronjohnson8834]

@@dme1016 Not too sure Monk gave too much of a damn about 'optics', vad , bad or any other kind. You are right about Monk being Monk and thus unique, well spotted.

[@TheophilusBoone]

@@dme1016 He wasn't an Art Tatum or Bud Powell, not an Oscar Peterson or Bill Evans, but Jesus!! He was the most original composer ever. Maybe I just haven't got a clue, but I can't find anything to rival him.

[@dme1016]

@@TheophilusBoone Nothibh wrong with that. His chord progressions were definitely unique. Last year though,, we lost (too soon) the absolutely brilliant Lyle Mays, a man who would've been seen as an all-time keyboard great....had he lived 50 years ago & was black. I love jazz history, and I personally would put Lyle at the top as a pianist. He inverted his inverted inverted chords, but we could still understand the flow. With Monk it was sometines like....???

[@kerrywinter3973]

The greatest gift America ever gave to the world; JAZZ! Bird, Trane, Monk, Hawk, Dolphy, Billy, Duke....list goes on and on. ALL geniuses

[@kerrywinter3973]

Shit....forgot to mention Mingus and Miles: M+M

[@tizviz3921]

As a jazz person I know always said " A day without Monk is like a day without sunshine!"

[@stephenclickard9428]

Sax man came up to monk and said MONK this tune is to hard to play….. monk told him are you a pro. He said yes monk said well then PLAY IT.

[@bcj842]

❤ I remember first hearing Thelonious Monk when I was very small. My dad would spin Solo Monk in his car. I think Thelonious is a great introduction to jazz and music in general for a toddler. He had such a playful manner at the keys and I think that kids can relate to that. It simply SOUNDS like fun.

[@johnsononey]

Some of my friends think Monk sounds like Sesame Street on LSD , but they just dont get it , and Im glad .

[@badlt.8029]

At around the time of “The British Invasion” circa 1964, I bought my first LP, “Monk’s Dream.” Never looked back.

[@siouzsie]

Listening to Monk fills me with such joy. He just makes me smile.

[@barbarabrown3381]

And his notes make me laugh out loud.

[@ecz3393]

The van gogh of jazz.

[@wuliwong]

I’ve always thought that too. I love them both so much.

[@Goatchild90]

Thelonious Monk is one of the most important artists of all time. No one was as avant-garde to his approach yet so appealing than Monk. Rest in Peace to the legend.

[@shlapleps3306]

I wouldn’t say avant garde

[@nyvcr502]

After listening to much of Monk’s music and comparing him to the so called bebop players whom he developed along with. It’s more like (to my ears) that he was listening to his inner ear rather than following along the lines of Bird, Diz, or Bud Powell. He went his own way. It’s like his harmonies & chord voicings were on a higher level.

[@McMahonGary]

@@shlapleps3306 I agree; he was not avant-garde. He was very "by the book" or "by the rules." He experimented within a very well-defined tradition. What is mistaken as "far out" was just his own unique style, chord voicings, accents, rhythms across the bar lines, and phrasing. He purposely yet naturally developed his own approach that had an eccentric quality to it. He understood chord progression, harmony, and theory very well. He was influenced by the older stride piano style, too.

[@McMahonGary]

@@nyvcr502 I agree, but maybe not harmonies and chord voicing on a "higher" level, but instead a "different, unique" approach. And that was just as much an accomplishment.

[@shlapleps3306]

@@McMahonGary Precisely!!!!! He was very adamant about being melodical in improvisation as well.

[@ozwzrd]

Hearing Monk taught me to leap joyously into the void.

[@nadiazayman779]

Monk dancing behind Rouse is time capsule material.

[@eseoraka]

For real... i thought those steps were ahead of their time... then again, His music is timeless.

[@ChrisMaxfieldActs]

I just wanted to thank all the people who made such interesting, educational and warm comments about this post. I share this here because I had access to it and thought it worthy of sharing, given my family's love of the music. For all the new subscribers, I wish I could say I can share many more videos just like this one, but I do try to post my own performances, and video projects, as much as possible. Plans are afoot for lots of new content like that!

[@hulado]

thank you chris. its a sweet piece of real.

[@edwinphillips49]

Thanks for the Excellent Exposure!

[@JuliaKathleen]

thank you so much!

[@hawkrolla]

Wow such a wonderful Doc Myself and all Monks fans Thank you!

[@davidsaints1]

Gracias amigo 👍

[@hudentdw2]

Round Midnight is one of those tunes that gets to me it always has!

[@donartyone3258]

Same. Best looping chord progression ever

[@blankowvsingt]

Do you know sun ras version of it yet?

[@luckydave328]

The first time I heard Monk was in the 60s in a cafe in France. The owner played jazz records all the time but in the background, not loud, so people could converse. When she put Monk on the deck my head twisted to one side to get one ear nearer to the speaker... I straight away felt a surge of joy go through my body. I laughed at his witty expression and maybe iconoclasm and idiosyncracy though I doubt I knew those words at the time. It was just so beautiful, so brilliant, so quirky, so fresh. It was like I had been waiting all my life to hear this. He really was saying something. Of course I have been a fan ever since. So sad the way he just faded at the end. He was a true genius.

[@allen6924]

I got divorced in early 2006, I had met this beautiful Dominican woman. I lived there with her and had a child. But she's always thought I was crazy because I would listen to Monk and do his dance lol 😂😆. For me it's Monk and Miles, but I love all the other muthafukas too. 🤣

[@luckydave328]

@@allen6924 You don't have to be crazy to dig Monk, but maybe it helps

[@robertcarli1969]

Liar

[@barbarabrown3381]

❤

[@barbarabrown3381]

HE HELPS ME WITH MY SUPPOSED "CRAZY."

[@robinyoung1488]

Monk's ear and understanding of music's glorious architecture is his gift to us; originality, joy, improvisational dancing mind. Authenticity is a rare commodity. Monk is IT.

[@koenraad4618]

He played with the piano and took us on a journey we will remember for ever

[@spensert4933]

The word Genius gets thrown around a lot but this is one.

[@lesterfalcon1350]

My dad is a complete jazz head, 82 now. He's like a walking encyclopedia of Jazz. He named my brother Miles, and me after Lester, but I never heard him refer to any other Jazz Musician as a Genius apart from Monk. We adopted a disheveled cat when I was 13, I named him Thelonious.

[@dwaynesbadchemicals]

Another musician who was a magician.

[@insomnia3201]

sat next to him at the Cambridge Union in the 60's when he came, we ran the jazz club at the university, and he was so gracious and such a gentleman..I feel honoured to have met him

[@pietromonagheddu]

Beautiful, magical and precious document... Thank you always

[@williamcorgile9823]

The music score of The Beat Generation. This is one of the best Docs about Monk.

[@NadavHbr]

The music score of many things, one of which was the Beat Generation

[@NadavHbr]

A real treasure.

[@michaelfitzurka5659]

“It’s always night or we wouldn’t need light”

[@brucecaldwell6701]

What I wouldn't give to go back in time to witness Monk & all these guys as they were creating this art form. To witness history in the making.

[@farshimelt]

I heard Monk with Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales & Ben Riley in Melbourne & Sydney, Australia in 1964 or 65. The first night in Melbourne the hall was nearly full & the band was excellent. Melbourne, being a word-of-mouth town, the second night was packed with people standing in the aisles. The band walked out on stage, saw the crowd and was visibly shocked at the number of people. From the first note the "magic" was there and remained all night. If levitation were possible the whole audience would have risen up.

[@markgreenway7174]

I wish I was there !

[@allisonloxsom7203]

Me too

[@Unixilandia]

Me 3!

[@ecz3393]

Me four

[@ecz3393]

Gimme more....

[@teririchardson176]

Monk, was an extraordinary composer, and a excellent; Black musician, who gave great contributions to his Back community and to Jazzman in America and possibly around the world!!!

[@YarivGurfinkel]

Thelonious Monk is an absolutely unique jazz musician and a great piano player, a true artist. Beautiful documentary, thanks for sharing this video. ❤

[@jazzcornertv]

Great posting. A true appreciation for Monk and his teams contributions. Mental illness or not. We are all going to get something, but what we leave behind is always good if it brings a smile and joy to someones face.

[@rillloudmother]

the group with rouse, gales, and riley boats my float!

[@andrewsilverstein6186]

A musical genius. I never tire of listening to his absolutely beautiful and amazing inventiveness. A Mozart

[@skelva100]

What a beautiful documentary of such a great humble genius of a musician, the great Thelonius Monk.

[@postatility9703]

So glad that the late great Randy Weston was included in this program. Randy was a beautiful human being, and one of the main forces in bringing the elements of African music into American jazz.

[@dme1016]

You DO realize how far back jazz & it's relationship to African vibes go, right? It goes back a lot farther than Mr. Weston's birth in 1926.

[@flybeep1661]

@@dme1016 yes and???

[@dme1016]

@@flybeep1661 I don't feel the need to expand on my words any fuurther. Either you figure it out, or don't.

[@kieronjohnson8834]

@@dme1016 Quite the educator, aren't you?

[@dme1016]

@@kieronjohnson8834 On topics that I know, yes. A know-it-all? Nope.

[@kaypolo_]

wonderful documentary, the spirits of all the jazz greats are so powerful. feel blessed to be able to have access to such informative docs like this

[@MrGiorgioud]

A total genius. His "smudged chords", as I call them, have paved the way for the best avant-garde jazz, and my favourite jazz artist alongside Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins. A giant. Long live Thelonious Monk.

[@JeremyHawkerGuitarStudio1]

We have been smudging chords ever since

[@musiclover-cn7tb]

I've learned about both reading on jazz and watching documentaries .

[@FoxieGrandma]

Thanks for introducing this Grandma to a Great Genius!!! Each person feels their music differently & so expresses it!! Amazing!!!

[@coisasdamusica]

I love Thelonious Monk's music. What a great artist! I will listen to his music forever

[@henridelagardere264]

Thelonious Monk was the first musician I managed to collect the complete oeuvre of. Fortunately, there is still hitherto unreleased material popping up every now and then, but even albums you may have listened to dozens of times will never fail to catch you off-guard and let you discover something new. Music that only gets better as time goes by, just as the man himself grows closer to me with every passing year.

[@thadtuiol1717]

Monk was a great example of how to be a rebel, free spirit, jazz artist... and yet not be an annoying pretentious asshole. A wonderful man.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

The two don't actually go hand in hand I think

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Monk, Coltrane, it seems they were never up themselves, quite the opposite, it's pretentious people with pretentious jobs, they are up themselves

[@joshklein6450]

Thank you so very much for this most generous, wonderful gift. A true gift into the world, beauty and tenacious soul/spirit that (was) is (will always be) Thelonious Monk. I can stop and hear the spaces in between the notes as soft, or as loud, as the played notes not in between (Played Twice). Thank you.

[@johnpolhamus9041]

An age of geniuses...HARD WORKERS by another name.

[@j.burton5220]

Thanks for this! Wonderful interviews, historic concert footage, and... dancing. Made me smile.

[@OneTrineMendUs]

Likewise 😊

[@turbo1234ist]

Monk would grow on you. He had some real tricky and creative licks. You had to listen to what he was doing. A true genius of jazz and piano.

[@toulminbrown9166]

Thelonious Monk was pure genius!

[@davonwilliams9694]

I love to hear eric dolphy on that bass clarinet playing with monk

[@dme1016]

The un-smoothest smooth dude, ever to play keys.

[@johnmc3862]

A caustic piano player lol.

[@orkavorn]

Thanks for the upload! I especially enjoyed the interview segments with his sister and the family photos.

[@conradsunkiojack2538]

Thelonius Monk .... summed up in a word .... Quintessential 👍!

[@Spinz99]

The freshest breath of air in last century's music.

[@jesham7627]

Thanks for posting. This doc kept my ears on Monk and out of trouble in High School!

[@tahseti1113]

''The piano aint got no wrong notes''.

[@josephstock573]

Nor did the Bluetooth

[@colinhalliley111]

The more you listen the more that statement rings true.

[@tahseti1113]

@@colinhalliley111 Monk knew what he was talking about.

[@colinhalliley111]

@@tahseti1113 😉

[@bravotab5480]

It’s easier to play and or create once that is accepted

[@philminas584]

I love watching and listening to Monk. It's mesmerizing and enthralling. A genius at work.

[@mariomartellacci9462]

An amazing man. A superb technique in musicianship. A fun and soulful character. A joy to listen and watch!

[@donaldchollar2033]

Ive watched this 12 times. He's my fave pianist of all. Love his style.

[@rashidv1]

Monk ..Bud Powell....Abdullah Ibrahim....Keith Jarret ...my favorites.

[@mpatrickgillan]

That was a really great show, thank you.

[@LMikey123]

brought a tear to my eye! what a great man.

[@theressamurphy2996]

What a pleasure listening to this very different jazz from Mr. Monk... In fact I love his jazz

[@sivakumarvakkalanka4938]

Thank you for posting this. " Anything but Kenny G and his ilk". That made my day :) :)

[@ericpreusser8450]

As a drummer, I'd give anything to have played with, Monk. His compositions offer so much for the drummer.

[@i_am_a_music_maker5212]

He was a very rhythmic and percussive player, and his tunes often have very memorable rhythms and motifs

[@gaminawulfsdottir3253]

A most exemplary documentary. All of it is good, and they saved the best for last.

[@stevie2673]

Great documentary thanks for sharing! R.I.P Barry Harris

[@johnrobertwoolley5730]

Excellent and informative : glad I found this on KZbin. A great fan from 1962 and saw him 3 times in London. Loved Monk and Trane together, also Johnny Griffin in the quartet. Riverside years were the best. I agree with Randy, his heart wasn't in it later on. 53.43

[@chraffis]

I’m somewhat new to his music. What I love the best in his playing is his crazy, funky phrasing and rhythms. Man. He’s twice as funky as Mr. Brown

[@paulweiss2720]

Most jazz documentaries are so filled up with B.S. and the desire to fashion a cheap, sentimental narrative of flawed genius and tragic endpoints. This one is very good, though; thanks to Chris Maxfield for having posted it, and thanks to the original filmmakers for not having turned Monk into a caricature. I think I first tried to play a Monk tune, let me think… oh right: it was 60 years ago. I really can’t imagine how much poorer American music would have been without him.

[@orionorion99]

Allways listening to monk and nice to hear from his friends and family especially his drummer

[@OneTrineMendUs]

I really enjoyed his segment also.

[@williamgregory1848]

Monk clearly bordered on genius and sanity. One of those rare talented cats that comes once every generation.

[@tajmacameron1693]

King Thelonious Monk. Such a brilliant musician and composer.

[@BorisNoiseChannel]

What an awesome introduction to something so amazing I wasn't familiar with, yet; Thank you mister Monk, for giving me a glimpsing grasp of Bebop and with it, an entire world a new, to explore. (and thank you for sharing, Chris!)

[@CRJines]

Wonderful documentary on my favorite jazz man!

[@dlxinfinite801]

Monk heard modern sounds beyond the boundaries of Jazz. And your Dad has good taste.

[@emlyngriffith5846]

What a great documentary......Monk was a one off.....he totally took music in n new direction.....thankfully there’s always someone around who will do that.

[@lesleyprior3818]

I miss this wonderfull music ,it speaks words to me...❤️conversation.

[@artofsoul]

My daughter walked by as I was watching this. She stopped and said, "Oh my god, are you crying?" Me, "No, I am misty eyed because this is beautiful."

[@OneTrineMendUs]

I feel you on that, I experienced it also.

[@analisathirwell7071]

I was in the car listening and watching and it hit me too.. what a jazz treasure this guy is… I have a 16 yr old piano student and I just hipped him to Monk. Eyes widened …and I just gotta keep passing it on to the next generations..

[@lukagyatt2427]

im watching this for my music appreciation course and it was an interesting watch. Its a shame i never experienced his music firsthand but his stride is something ill never forget.

[@repulsewarriorx8825]

...the music Monk makes is so beautiful it makes me cry. Thanks for uploading this one, it's an excellent documentary, not just on him but his time.

[@flybeep1661]

You wanna feel old? The time these guys reflect on from the point in time when this was recorded is shorter than the time between now and when that documentary was recorded.

[@michaelcorrado3452]

How so? This was made in 91, thirty years ago. Isn’t most of the footage of Monk from the forties and fifties?

[@MrKlemps]

A wonderful doc because it contains so much unencumbered footage of Monk's playing. Very little "voice over" in this doc. People speak about Monk, or else pure Monk. Another positive is that almost no time is spent on dime store psychology concerning Monk's decision to close down at so relatively young an age. So it's a doc about what Monk DID do and not about what he didn't do, or what he might have done, ot could have done, as though what he did were not enough.

[@alexanderhenao6806]

Thelonius Monk su aporte al movimiento del bebop es indiscitible. Su particular forma de tocar, su tecnica y sus composiciones lo hacen uno de los musicos mas influyentes del siglo XX

[@PaulZogno]

Thank u Monk for your music... ETERNAL MUSIC!

[@leascaart]

Monk, a secret weapon in the American musical arsenal. An incredible man. I love this era, have read about it extensively. Heroin is a hell of a drug.

[@WellseeTheend]

Right. I’ve never taken Heroine but I’ve taken opioids for years. That’s bad enough. Can’t imagine smack

[@tmaddrummer]

Beautiful........ I miss these cats, I sure do.

[@skimanization]

A great inventor and a true genius, Thelonius Monk!!!

[@daawedge9324]

...thanls for sharing....HE IS ONE OF THE CATS, WHO INVENTED BE BOP...."MODERN JAZZ"......THE AMERICAN JAZZ MUSICIANS ARE THE BEST PLAYERS ANYWHERE...............................................................

[@Slimjimb]

This is brilliant. Love it. Thanks.

[@robertofinellileoricardo]

Simply WONDERFUL the unforgettable GENIUS of Monk ❤

[@johnure3283]

Thanks for this really insightful video. Monk has always been my first choice of jazz muscians

[@musikolgenuis9335]

Imagine being 42 yrs old & just NOW realizing how much an artist has influenced you unbeknownst to your own self....

[@OneTrineMendUs]

Isn't life interesting.🙃

[@mr.aces5219]

The GOAT

[@dominicktancredi]

4:55 Goodness... I would just love to hear Monk play Happy Birthday... lol

[@van9875568]

One of my Favorite Jazz Pianist. I've seen him live several times and never realized he played so flat fingered..that has a lot to do with his sound besides of course his voicing and dissonance. Awesome man a Fantastic Addition to JAZZ. I once saw Monk at the Plugged Nickle in Chicago during a big winter snow storm. His group came in, went to the Bar,sat on stage and while the groupwasputting their equipment together, Monk sat at the piano ,still with his outside clothes on, and played 1 song....stood up and faced the audience and said " break time".

[@Danielj60]

I love to listen to these larger than life old school Jazz musicians. Sadly it's not something a young guy is going to get into anymore. Maybe we will enjoy a Rennaissance in Jazz before I kick the bucket.

[@orionorion99]

Come to the sf bay area place is crawling w 1000z of dedicated young jazz artists

[@Danielj60]

@untitled I wish you luck in the future kiddo maybe I will be around to buy one of your albums.

[@raymondchollet3199]

There will be new exciting artists. Always!

[@gametones]

Here in Ventura we have The Grape. An excellent tradition of Jazz musicians from all over come and play!

[@UncleDuTheWatchman]

The Jazz Community in Detroit is still Huge and vibrant! If you're ever this way check out Bert's Warehouse or the world famous Baker's Keyboard Lounge. There is a constant cycle here of generation teaching/learning from the next generation. That keeps the music alive, fresh and growing.

[@theopaopa1]

just excellent. thank you very much, chris

[@alanasda7705]

Monk was the Picasso of jazz.

[@bluzizalright]

There should be a monument dedicated to this genius!

Greatest inspiration for all musicians towards being original in spite of copying others.

[@xyzllii]

Beautiful ...delicate music.

[@AhYesIndeedItsFunTime]

Great upload. Thank you very much!

[@shirley9529]

Monk! Great! A Rebel in his own Right! And, he did his thing on his own Way and Terms. I highly respect that, honor that and live that myself! Monk Still Lives! And, He Will Live Long After Man is No Longer Existing! There will still be remnants of Monk and his music, still floating around through the anals of time!

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks so much for posting!

[@ChinqMiau1]

Amazing doco, thanks for sharing. 😍

[@cosmicdrifter287]

incredible documentary.i really love this.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Crepuscel with nelie ,:-0