The Thelonius Monk Reader (Readers on American Musicians)

Of all the major jazz artists, Thelonious Monk was one of the most original musical thinkers - nonconformist, idiosyncratic, imaginative, eccentric. In some ways Monk was the original be-bopper - in his music, stance, clothing, and aura - but his piano style developed outside of be-bop, remaining partially rooted in an older stride style of playing and eschewing the breakneck speed of be-bop in favour of sparse broken phrases, understatement, and a playful experimentation with sound. This book aims to provide a full treatment of Monk and his impact on the jazz world by bringing togehter a wide range of previously published articles, profiles, reviews, interviews, liner notes, and music analyses. Ranging in publication date from 1947 to 1999, and drawn from a large variety of English language periodicals and books, the 39 pieces included here feature the best writers on jazz, including Leonard Feather, Ira Gitler, Max Harrison, Nat Hentoff, Andre Hodeir, Orrin Keepnews, Gunther Schuller, and Martin Williams.