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Thelonious Sphere Monk

Born: 10th October 1917, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, U.S.A

Died: 17th February 1982, Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.A

Nationality: American

Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight", "Blue Monk", "Straight, No Chaser", "Ruby, My Dear", "In Walked Bud", and "Well, You Needn't". Monk is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.

Monk's compositions and improvisations feature dissonances and angular melodic twists, often using flat ninths, flat fifths, unexpected chromatic notes together, low bass notes and stride, and fast whole tone runs, combining a highly percussive attack with abrupt, dramatic use of switched key releases, silences, and hesitations.

Monk's distinct look included suits, hats, and sunglasses.

Further Reading: Monk, T

  • Thelonious Monk Trio

    23rd May 2019by Matt Groom

    Thelonious Monk roughed up some of his best known tunes on these exciting and spiky trio sessions, recorded during a troubled period in the pianists life, just before he would break through with some of his definitive albums.

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