Mural of Thelonious Monk located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Painted by Scott Nurkin and photographed by Natalie Rich for the North Carolina Musician Murals Project.
Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, NC. At the mere age of four, Monk and his family moved to the "San Juan Hill" neighborhood in New York City. Monk's father played the harmonica and piano, which seemingly sparked the jazz artist's interest in musicianship. He was a musical prodigy and began learning to play the piano at the age of nine. He also studied the trumpet for a little while.
By age 17, Thelonious Monk was touring with an evangelist playing the organ. By the time he was in his 20s, he became the house pianist at a Manhattan nightclub, called Minton's Playhouse. His musical work at the nightclub helped form bebop, which is a specific type of jazz. Over the course of his life he was signed to multiple record labels, including Prestige and Columbia Records, where he made many albums.
Monk traveled the world performing and showcasing his unique improvisational style of jazz until he stepped back from the music scene towards the end of his life. He has undoubtedly left his mark on music as part of the "bebop revolution," and has been a part of history in other ways as well.
Sources:
- Thelonious Monk's biography
- Thelonious Monk's official website
Listen to Thelonious Monk perform live in Paris in 1964 by clicking here!
Watch Thelonious Monk perform "Don't Blame Me" below!
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KshrtLXBdl8 width:600]
Here are some facts about Thelonious Monk that you may find interesting!
- Thelonious Monk is one of the five jazz musicians to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine
- Monk's "distinct look" was suit, hats and sunglasses
- The jazz musician was signed to four different labels over the course of his career
- Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer ever (only behind Duke Ellington)
- Monk's name was misspelled on his birth certificate
Source:
- Thelonious Monk's biography