Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original

 Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original

 By Robin D.G. Kelley

Kelley is correct - Thelonious Monk was indeed an American original but that’s not all he is. Monk is also one of the greats of the music world. Fans of rock and roll tend to ignore jazz and while they might be familiar with the name Thelonious Monk they certainly wouldn’t be familiar with his music.

I knew a little about the music of Mr. Monk but certainly nothing of the man himself. Now I am more familiar with both, and I am richer for it.

If you know and love jazz then you know Thelonious Monk, this masterpiece of a book is for you. I am not a jazz expert by any means but I found this book simply amazing. Mr. Robin  Kelley has written a masterpiece of a book that any jazz fan would enjoy.

However, if you are a fan of Monks and have not read this book ask yourself one question: What are you doing with your life? It’s abundantly clear that Mr. Kelley loves both jazz generally and Monk in particular. This book is a work of love.

You’ll find all the history of the man you would want. There is a little passage at the beginning of the book about another musician named Julius Monk. It seems Monk’s great-grandfather owned Monk’s great-grandfather. Julius Monk came from slave owners. 

The pair were both pianists and only five years separated their ages. It seems they may have been familiar with each other’s names for various reasons. Julius studied his family history and might well have understood where Thelonious came from. But he may not have. Thelonious certainly had no idea.

After learning about the history of the man including his failure to get into The Julliard School we then learn even more about the music.

Kelley shows us the evolution of various Monk tunes and what made them great. I was not familiar with the music of Thelonious Monk but, as I do with all music, I listened to his tunes while I read the book. Sometimes I just leave the music when I leave the book.

Some folks will be afraid of the size of the book. There is no need to be afraid. The book has plenty of notes and a fine index to aid in digesting this tome.

Music fans, especially fans of jazz, must read this. This would also be a good read for those not into jazz. The way Mr. Kelley tells us Thelonious Monk’s story and how he breaks down the music is simply wonderful.

You need to read Thelonious Monk The Life and Times of an American Original. I could never do this book justice regarding how good it is. Just buy it!