Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original |  | Author: Robin Kelley
Publisher: Free Press
Category: Book
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Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 21237
Format: Deckle Edge
Media: Hardcover
Edition: First Edition/First Printing
Pages: 608
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.7
ISBN: 0684831902
Dewey Decimal Number: 786.2165092
EAN: 9780684831909
ASIN: 0684831902
Publication Date: October 6, 2009
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Product Description
"The piano ain't got no wrong notes!" So ranted Thelonious Sphere Monk, who proved his point every time he sat down at the keyboard. His angular melodies and dissonant harmonies shook the jazz world to its foundations, ushering in the birth of "bebop" and establishing Monk as one of America's greatest composers. Yet throughout much of his life, his musical contribution took a backseat to tales of his reputed behavior. Writers tended to obsess over Monk's hats or his proclivity to dance on stage. To his fans, he was the ultimate hipster; to his detractors, he was temperamental, eccentric, taciturn, or childlike. But these labels tell us little about the man or his music.In the first book on Thelonious Monk based on exclusive access to the Monk family papers and private recordings, as well as on a decade of prodigious research, prize-winning historian Robin D. G. Kelley brings to light a startlingly different Thelonious Monk -- witty, intelligent, generous, politically engaged, brutally honest, and a devoted father and husband. Indeed, Thelonious Monk is essentially a love story. It is a story of familial love, beginning with Monk's enslaved ancestors from whom Thelonious inherited an appreciation for community, freedom, and black traditions of sacred and secular song. It is about a doting mother who scrubbed floors to pay for piano lessons and encouraged her son to follow his dream. It is the story of romance, from Monk's initial heartbreaks to his lifelong commitment to his muse, the extraordinary Nellie Monk. And it is about his unique friendship with the Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter, a scion of the famous Rothschild family whose relationship with Monk and other jazz musicians has long been the subject of speculation and rumor. Nellie, Nica, and various friends and family sustained Monk during the long periods of joblessness, bipolar episodes, incarceration, health crises, and other tragic and difficult moments. Above all, Thelonious Monk is the gripping saga of an artist's struggle to "make it" without compromising his musical vision. It is a story that, like its subject, reflects the tidal ebbs and flows of American history in the twentieth century. Elegantly written and rich with humor and pathos, Thelonious Monk is the definitive work on modern jazz's most original composer.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
 FINE IN DEPTH LOOK AT MONK'S LIFE AND MUSIC October 7, 2009
Stuart Jefferson (San Diego,Ca)
119 out of 123 found this review helpful
588 pages,including acknowledgments,appendices,notes,and compositions by Monk. This adds up to 129 pages out of the total. The paper used is a cream-white,and the the type-face is straight forward,clean and,together,make for an easy read. There are 16 pages of black and white photographs,starting with Monk's parents,on through his family,and several of Monk playing on the bandstand. These are a valuable addition,and give some depth to the writing.
This is an important book on Thelonious Monk. Not only his music,but an in-depth look at the person behind the music. The author,Robin Kelley,delved into Monk's life for ten years,with access to family papers and private recordings. In doing so Kelley has produced the first book to accurately portray what made Monk "tick". Many books talk about Monk the "hipster",the jazz player who wore hats (believe it or not,this was thought to be important) not in keeping with the current fashion of the day,the outspoken man who most deemed overly critical,and,an eccentric. Was Monk temperamental? Absolutely. Did he act in ways outside "normal" behavior? Yes. Was Monk a true eccentric? Probably most certain. But in this well written book the author digs deeply into Monk's life,starting with his upbringing,his family ties and influence,his early life,jail,and his mental and physical disorders,his one true love in life,Nellie,and his many friends (Baroness Nica de Koenigswarter for example),and associates in the music world.
This book shows why Monk--was Monk. His mother's encouragement to follow his own path,early in Monk's life,set him on his own individual path. The many people who misunderstood Monk (Bill Evans,for example,thought Monk's musical ability was because he was not exposed to Western music forms-not true),which led to the popular myth of Monk being some sort of musical savant,who had little knowledge of the "outside" world. In reality,Monk worked very hard at his music,and even harder to achieve his own individualistic sound. As for his perceived eccentricities,in this book Monk is shown to be a devoted family man,a man who was generous to his friends,but was also incredibly honest in his opinions and at times was brutally honest to a fault. His mental illness,and it's affects on not only his music,but his life are also brought into context with his views on people and life. In addition,readers get a good view of jazz,in N.Y. City,in the forties and fifties,into the sixties,and the many musicians who Monk employed,and played with on the bandstand.
Above all,Monk had a genuine love for music,especially his own,and that comes through clearly in this great book. Not only do readers (and listeners of his music) learn more about his music,that in the past,was sorely lacking,they get to know the man behind this incredible music. If you're not familiar with Monk's music,check out his album "Brilliant Corners",or his early stuff on Blue Note Records,or his superb (2 CD) solo recordings on Columbia records,for examples of his writing and playing skills. If you aren't familiar with these albums,I envy you your hearing this music for the first time. For anyone who listens to Monk's music and wonders,what kind of person could write such powerful,evocative music-this book will give the answers. Monk's music can be enjoyed to an even greater extent,after reading this well researched,well written book,on one of jazz's greatest composers and musicians.
Monk in perspective October 28, 2009
a musician (Takoma Park, Md. USA)
49 out of 50 found this review helpful
If you're interested in jazz, post war urban American history or just enjoy reading well written biographies...buy this book. Deftly written, extremely well researched and highly readable this book is a great acheivemment.
Being a professional musician I have read many music bios (jazz and otherwise) and this ranks among the best. Robin Kelley clearly has a love for his subject and as an amateur pianist he writes intelligently about Monk and his music. But don't expect this book to be an academic bore. His detailed account of Monk, his circle of musician friends and the clubs he played made me feel like I was there. I could smell the cigarette smoke and hear the jam sessions at Minton's and feel the atmosphere of the San Juan Hill neighborhood where Monk grew up and lived for so many years. You'll find yourself in the back of a TV repair shop where pianists (known and unknown) jammed and shared ideas and eavesdrop on rehearsals at Monks apartment and Hall Overton's loft...and so much more.
Kelley had unprecedented access to the Monk family archives and in every step of the book it shows. But more importantly Kelley is a great writer that weaves the details into a saga of post war African American life. Perhaps most importantly, Kelley debunks the myth of Monk as some sort of idiot savant or "noble savage" that inherited his genius by osmosis. Monk worked damn hard to create his art and Kelly takes you along every step of the way. Poignant, funny, sad and triumphant this book's got it all covered. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
"Two is one and one is two".
Monk- A labor of love November 17, 2009
A. Panemangalore (Mumbai, India)
25 out of 25 found this review helpful
I approached this book with trepidation..there have been so many bios of Monk,Trane,Miles...and the 700 page hardbound looked a fearsome mix of dry research and lofty pronouncements. My scepticism rapidly gave way to ceaseless absorption as I devoured the pages..Not since Ross Russell's 'Bird Lives' have I torn though a biography of an artiste one has revered over the decades
Painstakingly researched and passionately written with a strong story line,"Monk" grips the reader from start to finish.The author gets behind the Monk character and psyche to portray what made him tick,how did he think and what went behind the man whose compositions and playing style continue to captivate millions even today as it confused thousands during his time.One lives and breathes each scene as you sit along with Monk as he relentlessly composes each of his tunes, rehearses with his sidemen and makes his recordings.
You are with him and the other greats at his gigs at Mintons, Five Spot, the 52nd Street clubs, Newport and all of Europe You are by his side as he scuffles and suffers poverty,house fires,mental illness,ridicule by critics and social ostracization....before gaining recognition.. You come within talking and breathing distance of Diz, Bird,Coltrane,Miles,Charlie Rouse,Bud Powell,Elmo Hope, and so many more that one has heard and read about.... its unbelievably realistic...
If you are a jazz person, this book has to be by your bedside, not just on your shelf
Will please both serious and casual fans November 20, 2009
souldrummer (Washington, DC United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is a lengthy biography written by a college professor who clearly loves his subject and possesses the chops to give him his due. I was suprised Kelley is writing about this. I'm more familiar with him as a leftist black intellectual and I was not aware of his own musical background. As a musician and a black intellectual, I feel that he was able to gain both the trust of the Monk family and access to some of the more private recordings that have not been released from T.S. Monk. T.S. Monk, called "Toot" in the book, Nellie, and Boo Boo all have prominent voices and are heavily quoted. But there's a lot of academic research as well and he goes through just about every recording date and many of the issues surrounding Monk's substance abuse, psychological issues, and adversarial relationships with the cabaret card licensing that kept him away from the clubs.
It's always illuminating to see the stories and backdrop that produced much of the music. The positive reinforcement between the Five Spot and Monk that helped him get back on his feet was so crucial and I was unaware how much he came back to the club to perform after the historic work with Coltrane and Johnny Griffin.
One thing that struck me is how much of Monk's work is simply about earning bread as a musician. It was very illuminating to see how this bebop musician who couldn't get a cabaret club was propelled to a Time cover and playing benefit concerts for his children's private schools, a degree of social accpetance that Bird never achieved.
The one area where Kelley may have been less equipped is in assessing whether Monk was bipolar and how that impacted his music. There's an interesting online article on this issue at [...]. It's very tough to retroactively assess this and I wish there had been some more professional doctors to comment on the diagnosis that Kelley accepts with out much debate in the book.
For someone who had been marginalized it's clear that there was a sharp contrast between down times where he could be himself without resources and the pressures of producing for a major label in Columbia that expected him to approach the successes of label mates Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Dave Brubeck.
I hope that anyone who picks up this book will invest in at least 5 Monk albums, especially Genius of Modern Music on Blue Note, Monk with Coltrane, Monk's Music, Brilliant Corners and one of the sessions with Charlie Rouse, a stabilizing force in Monk's more popularly appreciated band.
Anyways I could write so much more about this book. It had me enthralled for about 4 days and I strongly recommend it, a magisterial tribute to a profoundly signicant artist.
4.5 stars
Exhaustive - Exhausting? November 21, 2009
Todd M. Steed (Knoxville, TN USA)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Actually- this is wonderful stuff and it's difficult to imagine anyone topping this bio. This is the place to start if you really want to know as much about Monk as possible. For someone with a mild interest in Monk (oh, how I do feel for you if you interest is only mild) this is not the place to start. The book takes you from top to bottom, around the world, downtown, uptown, and back again. The research and connectivity to Monk's world are fabulous.
It took me forever to finish it because I constantly went to my CD collection and Youtube to see if I could find what song or performance was being discussed.
Occasionally the author slips in to "I" which I personally don't prefer in the regular sections of the book. Oops, I just slipped into "I" myself. Also some of the conjecture about what Monk might have been doing or what Monk might have been thinking is a bit distracting.
Minor quibbles. This is an outstanding and enlightening work, the best portrait we have of one of the greatest creatives forces, well, ever. Lately, I walk around thinking about what I have learned about Monk from this book, and sometimes I even dance a little.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 34
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