Monk, Thelonious << thuh LOH nee uhs >> (1917-1982), was an American composer, pianist, and bandleader. He gained recognition as one of the most adventurous and influential musicians in jazz. Monk’s music is intensely rhythmic and often humorous. But his daring use of dissonance and his unique piano style made him a controversial figure. Many of his compositions, including “Round Midnight,” “52nd Street Theme,” “Epistrophy,” and “Straight No Chaser,” have become jazz standards.
Thelonious Sphere Monk was born on Oct. 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and grew up in New York City. He was closely associated with the bebop (or bop) movement in the early 1940’s. In the early 1950’s, Monk formed the first in a series of small jazz groups. He usually led quartets but occasionally formed an orchestra for concerts and recordings. The groups included several important tenor saxophonists, including Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and Charles Rouse. Monk died on Feb. 17, 1982. In 2006, after his death, Monk received a Pulitzer Prize special citation “for a body of distinguished and innovative musical composition that has had a significant and enduring impact on the evolution of jazz.”
