Monkwas 6 when he started to play the piano. 2. Thelonious Monk was born October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk, two years after his sister Marion. He was at th… Without this, he was unable to perform in New York cabaret clubs, which was a serious drawback to his career. Website design and development by Tandem Web Co.. Thelonious Monk Birthday and Date of Death. The first musical sounds he heard were from a player piano that his family owned. Monk took an interest in music at 11 and enjoyed watching his elder sister play the piano. Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 in North Carolina to Thelonious and Barbara Monk. While many recognize his full name as Thelonious Sphere Monk, his given middle name on his birth certificate was Junior. Monk won the Apollo theater amateur night contest so much, that he was banned from entering. Copyright © 2016 FamousAfricanAmericans.org, Museum Dedicated to African American History and Culture is Set to Open in 2016, Scholarships for African Americans – Black Scholarships, Top 10 Most Famous Black Actors of All Time. Thelonious Monk---Bebop Pioneer, and Bipolar? One of the most influential pianists of the twentieth century, Thelonious Monk had a idiosyncratic improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire. Monk started to play piano from the age of six, learning just by observing his sister playing the instrument. Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz musician who is widely credited as being one of the creators of modern day jazz. Thelonious Sphere Monk was born October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. It is surreal for Jazz lovers not to have heard of the famous Thelonious Sphere Monk, a creative Jazz musician and composer who was active throughout the interim period of 1940s to the early 1970s. By the 1970s, he began to ease up on the number of performances and soon retired from the music scene entirely, especially as he was becoming seriously ill. In fact, many people think of him as the founder of ‘Bebop’. This was the time when his musical taste was developed and he quoted his major influences as Duke Ellington and James P. Johnson. jazz pianist, composer, arranger Born: 10/10/1917 Birthplace: Rocky Mount, North Carolina Jazz pianist, composer, and arranger known for his influence on avant-garde jazz and for making the first bebop records with fellow musicians Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz musician who is widely credited as being one of the creators of modern day jazz. He was a classically trained pianist and not a jazz musician from day one. Monk started playing the piano at the age of six. He went on tour in the United States and Europe as well. In 1955, he was signed on to Riverside Records. Thelonious Monk. Thelonious Sphere Monk is considered one of the most important (and eccentric) jazz composers of the century. Thelonious Sphere Monk (October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had an older sister named Marion and … Monk’s first known recording was in 1944, when he worked as a member of Coleman Hawkin’s quartet. My Interview with Professor Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk, The Life and Times of an American Original Birthday: October 10, 1917 Date of Death: February 17, 1982 Age at Death: 64 It also did not list his middle name, taken from his maternal grandfather, Sphere Batts. He started to learn how to play piano by watching his sister practice. By the age of 13, he was playing at a local bar with a trio. When he was 13 he joined the school band. Monk was victimized repeatedly by the police, resulting in the loss of his cabaret card and thus his ability to perform in nightclubs in New York. In 1922, the family moved to the Phipps Houses, 243 West 63rd Street, in Manhattan, New York City; the neighborhood wa… Thelonious Sphere Monk was born two years after his sister Marion on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and was the son of Thelonious and Barbara Monk. The Most-Advanced Thelonious Monk Biography Available. He was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to Thelonious and Barbara Monk. The family moved to Manhattan, New York City, when Monk was only 4 years old - he lived there for almost 50 years of his life. In 1954, he visited Paris where he made a recording with a French radio station and performed at several concerts. His compositions constitute the core of jazz repertory and are performed by artists from many different genres. If you listen to jazz, you are familiar with the work of, At the age of five or six, he taught himself to read music by picking out melodies on his family’s piano and looking over his sister’s shoulder as she took lessons. Making fun of music, one song at a time. In1954, Monk became one of five jazz musicians to ever be on the cover of. He was enrolled at a prestigious high school named Stuyvesant High School but dropped out before graduating. A brother, Thomas, was born in January 1920. Some Interesting Facts About Thelonious Monk. Since the year 2000. While many recognize his full name as Thelonious Sphere Monk, his given middle name on his birth certificate was Junior. In 1964, he was featured on the cover of Time Magazine, making him one of only four jazz musicians ever to be featured. He had an older sister named Marion and a younger brother named Thomas. One of the early practitioners of bebop during the 1940s and '50s, his complex compositions featured irregular rhythms, dissonant sounds and a … Thelonious Sphere Monk was an American jazz musician who is widely credited as being one of the creators of modern day jazz. When he was four, his parents moved to New York City, where he spent most of his formative years. He was the second-most recorded jazz composer behind Duke Ellington, in spite of the fact that he wrote only 70 songs compared to Ellington's 1,000. When he was three years old, his family moved to New York where he started playing music. His poorly written birth certificate misspelled his first name as "Thelious" or "Thelius". Monk on Thelonious Monk, Sr.: 1. Largely self-taught, the pianist started out on church organ - before finding work in … He didn’t record under his own name until 1947, when he performed as the leader of a sextet session for Blue Note. This interest eventually led him to pursue a degree in Theoretical Music at the Julliard School of Music. Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 and died on February 17, 1982. From an early age, Monk had a strong interest in music. Did you know: By the time Monk had turned 13 years old, he was banned from entering the weekly amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre because he had won it so many times! Fun music facts, trivia, jokes, lyrics stuff about Thelonious Monk on amiright. Monk never spoke to his audience and rarely granted interviews—he preferred to let his music speak for itself. By the early 1970s, Monk had retired and lived quietly during his final years before he passed away from a stroke in 1982. When he was 4, his family relocated to Manhattan, in New YorkCity, where he lived for nearly 50 years. 1402 Sul Ross He composed “Round Midnight,” “Straight No Chaser,” and “Epistrophy.” His new found fame soon landed him a contract with Columbia Records, which was one of the “Big 4” recording labels of the time. Trivia He was known to get up and dance briefly in the middle of his sets. Name at birth: Thellous Junior Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk is considered one of the most important (and eccentric) jazz composers of the century. Thelonious was 64 years old at the time of death. Teaches self to read music Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. During concerts and recording sessions, he would rise from his bench every so often and break out into dance to emphasize the rhythm he wanted from his band members. This happened on three occasions in 1948 after an arrest for marijuana possession, in 1951 after a narcotics arrest with Bud Powell and in 1958 after an altercation with Delaware state troopers. Some of his hits during  this time include “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “Bags’ Groove” (in collaboration with Miles Davis). The first music he heard was from a player piano that his family owned. Monk’s ingenuity arouse from his mastery of the piano and the unconventional, musically awkward techniques he embellished his songs with. February is Black History Month, which makes it a fine time to sit down and pour through Robin Kelley's weighty new biography, "Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of An American Original." He was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to Thelonious and Barbara Monk. This book is your ultimate resource for Thelonious Monk. Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The late Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 and is considered to be one of the pioneers of modern day jazz. He had an older sister named Marion and a younger brother named Thomas. He died from a stroke in 1982 at the age of 64 and is remembered to date as one of the most remarkable jazz musicians that America has ever seen. At the age of five or six he began picking out melodies on the piano and taught himself to read music by looking over his sister ’ … He is often regarded as one of the founders of bebop. Read "Thelonious Monk 255 Success Facts - Everything you need to know about Thelonious Monk" by Frank Torres available from Rakuten Kobo. Thelonious Monk Information. All Rights Reserved. He taught himself to play the piano and later attended the Julliard School of Music where he studied music theory, harmony and musical arrangements. Houston, TX 77006. After dropping out of High school he joined Mittens Playhouse in … He was both good friends with, and a teacher to, American jazz pianist Bud Powell. Monk's unique piano style and his talent as a composer made him a leader in the development of modern jazz. However he didn’t play this style for very long. He was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to Thelonious and Barbara Monk. He also married Nellie Smith in the same year, with whom he had two children named after Monk’s parents. In 1951, an unfortunate incident where he was caught in a car with his friend’s narcotics, caused him to lose his cabaret license. It was later restored in the 1950s, by which time he had established himself as an artist. In his early childhood his family moved to New York, New York, where he taught himself to play the piano. © 2020 Da Camera chamber music and jazz. T.S. The album “Brilliant Corners” released in 1956 was his first commercially successful album and is now regarded as one of the most innovative jazz albums ever produced. On the 10th of October 1917, Thelonious Monk was born in North Carolina as the son of Barbra and Thelonious Monk. While many know Monk for being a key member of the jazz revolution that took place in the early 1940s, here are a few facts you may not be familiar with about one of the first creators of modern jazz and bebop: Jason Moran salutes Thelonious Monk on October 7 with In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, 1959. Thelonious Sphere Monk is considered one of the most important (and eccentric) jazz composers of the century. One of the early practitioners of bebop during the 1940s and ’50s, his complex compositions featured irregular rhythms, dissonant sounds and a quirky sense of humor. Some interesting facts: He was one of the main jazz artists to create ‘Bebop’ jazz. He stayed with Columbia from 1962 to 1970, who heavily promoted his work. Although his music was much appreciated and admired by his peers, his record sales remained very low. A brilliant composer and criminally underrated pianist whose sense of rhythm, space, and harmony made him one of the founders of modern jazz. Recognized as one of the most original musicians in American history, Thelonious Sphere Monk fashioned a startlingly unique, inimitable playing and composing style that influenced virtually every succeeding jazz generation. Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. One of the early practitioners of bebop during the 1940s and 50s, his complex compositions featured irregular rhythms, dissonant sounds and a quirky sense of humor. [5] In 1922, the family moved to 243 West 63rd Street, in Manhattan, New York City. Born October, 1917, Thelonious Sphere Monk moved with his family to New York City in 1922. Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on October 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Monk is famous for his unique piano style. Today Thelonious Monk is widely accepted as a genuine master of American music. Thelonious Monk, in full Thelonious Sphere Monk, (born Oct. 10, 1917, Rocky Mount, N.C., U.S.—died Feb. 17, 1982, Englewood, N.J.), American pianist and composer who was among the first creators of … Thelonious Monk Biography by Thom Jurek + Follow Artist. Check out the two amIright misheard lyrics books including one book devoted to misheard lyrics of the 1980s. His other albums with Riverside were “Thelonious Monk Plays the Music of Duke Ellington” in 1955 and “The Unique Thelonious Monk” in 1956. Thelonious Monk was an important member of the jazz revolution that took place in the early 1940s. Monk, as he was fondly called, was born on October 10, 1917, to Thelonious Sr. and Barbara in Rocky Mount North Carolina. He sometimes flattened his fingers when he played the piano and used his elbows and forearms to get the sound he wanted. At the age of five or six he began picking out melodies on the piano and taught himself to read music by looking over his sister's shoulder as she took lessons. Read Full Biography. He formed a quartet with John Coltrane and a few others, and began performing at various venues in New York. He first found work as a pianist at a Manhattan night club named Minton’s Playhouse where he interacted with many emerging jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Kenny Clarke and Miles Davis. Da Camera of Houston Thelonious Monk Wiki 2020, Height, Age, Net Worth 2020, Family - Find facts and details about Thelonious Monk on wikiFame.org Monk's prolific compositions and improvisations are full of dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists. His first studio recording was made in 1944 with the Coleman Hawkins quartet with whom he continued to work until 1952. Monk 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… A brother, Thomas, was born in January 1920. During his teenage years, he toured with an evangelist named “Texas Warhorse” for whom he played the church organ and later moved out to establish himself on his own. Some of his albums with Columbia include “Criss Cross”, “Underground”, and the live albums “Miles and Monk at Newport”, “Live at the It Club” and “Live at the Jazz Workshop”. He also played at the. Thelonious Sphere Monk (Rocky Mount, North Carolina 10th October 1917 - Hartsdale, New York 17th February 1982) was a jazz pianist and composer.. Monk was victimized repeatedly by the police, resulting in the loss of his cabaret card and thus his ability to perform in nightclubs in New York. Station and performed at several concerts 1917, in Rocky Mount, North.! 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