Thelonious Monk on DVD
Thelonious Monk has long been a master of the jazz idiom and the 88 keyes as well as writing some jazz standards that have outlived his death and been recorded and played by hundreds of jazz musicians.
I, for one, always thought of Monk as a dapper, slim esthetic kind of guy, but the DVD "Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser" available from Netflix, shows a different kind of guy: big, hulking, lively, involved in his music and fellow players.
He died n 1982, but his standards such as "Round Midnight" are the meat and potatoes of jazz today as they were when he was playing and composing.
The DVD shows a conflicted man, with a kind of mental state that allowed him to do odd dances while on stage and to depend on his wife to get him to the gig on time.
Lots of fine playing on this DVD and the cast is an all-star collection of be-bop artists, even including a trombone or two --- an instrument that almost disappeared in the be-bop days because it was difficult to keep up with the rapid pace f be-bop.
Yes, there are hints of the madness that came later and his days as almost a hermit, but if you love jazz and one of its finest composers and players, check out this DVD. Ad put on an old LP afterwards to enjoy Monk in his world.
---Sam Bauman