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THELONIOUS MONK THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Robin D G Kelley | 9781439190463 | | | | | Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original 1st edition PDF Book I fell in love with Monk all over again. Let's talk more about his sound. Very rich read. Robin Kelley spent 14 years digging into Monk's life and music, and he's packed every bit of his research into the book -- and put a jaw-dropping anecdote on nearly every page. Views Read Edit View history. Possibly most important of all the perceptions to combat, Mr. Use current location. I LOVE that song! Robin Kelley worked on this book for 14 years and it shows in its incredible detail and insight to the great jazz pianist and composer. Monk had small hands, and played with flat fingers, like the mallets you use on vibes, to make up for it—a trick he developed to play like James P. Kelley's diagnosis effectively serves to humanize Monk and make him seem more pitiable than bizarre, at least to modern readers; it's not really possible to fully convince with such a I'm a big fan of Monk's music and of good scholarly writing about Jazz, so this was a natural. In this case, however, the author is absolutely correct; "The High Priest of Bebop" was unlike anyone else, in or outside of the Thelonious Monk rose from a humble beginning as the son of day laborers in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to become one of the legendary—though misunderstood and underappreciated—composers and musicians of modern jazz. Excellent book written by Robin D. Later on, as an adult, his wife Nellie provided a solid foundation of love and support -- emotional, financial and business. Scher whether he could record the show if he tuned the piano. Sort order. It took you 14 years to write this book. If you don't know that story, you may feel like a square. She had brought her three children to New York from North Carolina, effectively leaving behind her husband, who suffered bad health, and raising the family on her own, in order that they might receive a proper education. Second, I use the "search" function frequently. He was already scheduled to be in the area for a three-week stint at the Jazz Workshop, a club in San Francisco, so Mr. His style of discordant playing formed the basis of what would become BeBop, popularized by two other jazz greats -- Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Add links. Ashley Poston made her name with Once Upon a Con, a contemporary series set in the world of fandom, and her two-part space opera, Heart of Aug 04, Brian rated it really liked it. Oct 18, Dan Petegorsky rated it really liked it. But there are still questions. On the other hand, it captures very little of the spirit and life that I hear and sense in Monk's music. I was surprised to learn about the origin of bebop described in the book, having always assumed that bebop came solely from both Bird and Dizzy Gillespie. Very early on, Monk demonstrate a keen interest and talent in music, especially the piano. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it does not appear to be a National Book Award or Pulitzer finalist or nominee. To tell Monk's story and the story of the people who shaped his world, I was uncovering some of the most obscure individuals, people in the jazz world we know nothing about now. Thelonious disliked both free jazz as well as rock and roll. Monk — about releasing it. This book takes all of that within its covers. Just a browse through The Notes reflects 14 years of interviews documenting musical history that would be lost forever without Robin D. The George Washington of Bebop. In the fall of Mr. Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original 1st edition Writer Monk spent much of struggling with health challenges that slowed his output and ultimately led to his isolation. Yet for all the recalled conversations, all the extensive family history, Monk never seems to come fully alive in this book. It's easy to dismiss the mentally ill, and brush off each aspect of their character as a facet of their distress but Kelley manages to paint a picture of a complicated man with a wry sense of humor and non-conforming personality. It was an incredible read about a largely misunderstood genius. You can see how that might have created the conditions for strange behavior. May 24, T. Need to return items? Kelley, 47, a professor of history and American studies at the University of Southern California, resolved to humanize Monk. His roots? Thelonious Monk rose from a humble beginning as the son of day laborers in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to become one of the legendary—though misunderstood and underappreciated—composers and musicians of modern jazz. It's a very good well researched bio. The "postage stamp" cover was used for pressings from onward. Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington A long but comprehensive biography of Monk told mostly in a chronology of his life. But Monk did little to discourage the popular view of him as odd. Main navigation Calendar. More filters. Have you sampled any of his bag? Popular notions about Monk tend to emphasize his lack of formal training, his bizarre behavior and unique fashion sense. In this case, however, the author is absolutely correct; "The High Priest of Bebop" was unlike anyone else, in or outside of the Thelonious Monk rose from a humble beginning as the son of day laborers in Rocky Mount, North Carolina to become one of the legendary—though misunderstood and underappreciated—composers and musicians of modern jazz. I was surprised by the way he suffered, financially, as an artist—even after he became the one of the most recognizable faces in jazz and was on the cover of national magazines, he just wasn't making much money. Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original 1st edition Reviews I try to be very careful in discussing the way the medical profession understood his problems. Their comments create the binding glue of the book, a composite of how Monk saw the world, how and why he engaged and disengaged with it. Kelley makes clear that for many years Monk did not receive the accolades he richly deserved. Kelley easily debunks the myths that Monk couldn't read music and had no classical background. Its a Drag to Be in Jail. Kelley who obviously admired Monk and his music, gives Monk's entire history, month by month, including his childhood, family life and creative life. Admin Admin Admin, collapsed. There's nothing quite like reading a good biography and Robin D. Use current location. Download as PDF Printable version. That blew my mind. Dec 27, Louise rated it it was amazing Shelves: biography , entertainers , composers. The Palo Alto performance energized the pianist, then In films of Monk, we get an image of Nellie as the loyal helpmate—there's some truth to that, she was the person most responsible for keeping him together. Summary Add a Summary. But Mrs. Instinct is involved, surely as much as perspicacity, in sifting through the mass of observation and anecdote. Stravinsky was also a favorite. You could hear in those rehearsal tapes how he methodically, laboriously developed those ideas. Sign in My Account Subscribe. From his father, Thelonious Sr. It took you 14 years to write this book. The technical details of his playing are mostly relegated to an one-and-a-half page appendix, and you won't see a musical note anywhere throughout the book. His mother, Barbara Monk, would not have been pleased. Riverside, at the time of the first re-issue, printed copies of the stamp that was featured on the cover art. It's the right chord, yet he makes it sound like a completely bizarre choice. The following March, Mr. Thelonious, whose name represents the Latinized spelling of St. How often does this happen to a white counterpart? Not recommended. Home Page World U. I've listened to Monk's music since high school and I've always been blown away by his use of space, angular phrases and peculiar rhythms. Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original 1st edition Read Online Aug 04, Tyra Sherese rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. A beautifully written biography of a beautiful man. He's always going to be associated with the founding of bebop, with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. It was hard for Monk to play Monk, in fact. Robin Kelley spent 14 years digging into Monk's life and music, and he's packed every bit of his research into the book -- and put a jaw-dropping anecdote on nearly every page. Jan 24, Craig Pittman rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. Growing up in Harlem during the early part of the twentieth century, his budding talents were nurtured thanks in part to his participation in an after school boys and girls club. Monk was well enough known and appreciated in his lifetime to have appeared on the cover of the Feb. Thelonious Monk. No musicians or family who were willing to say Monk was distant, unhelpful, cruel, absentee, doped up? Wikimedia Commons. Notices Add Notices. Do you think Monk's career might have evolved differently if he'd received proper treatment earlier, that he might have composed more or taken his music in new directions? You write about how he went from being a musical maverick to someone who was almost stodgy about the music, putting down the new directions Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor were taking.

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