This week we recognize Thelonious Monk.
Thelonious Monk was born on October 10, 1917 and died on February 17, 1982. He was an influential American jazz pianist and composer known for his highly original improvisational style. His most famous jazz songs include “‘Round Midnight,” “Blue Monk,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “Ruby, My Dear,” “In Walked Bud,” and “Well, You Needn’t.” He is the second most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington.
Thelonious Monk’s playing blended percussive intensity with dramatic pauses, unusual harmonies, stride influences, and sudden shifts in timing, making him a model for modern jazz.
He was also known for his distinctive style—often wearing sharp suits, hats, and sunglasses—and for occasionally rising from the piano mid-performance to dance briefly before sitting back down to play.
Monk was one of only five jazz musicians to appear on the cover of Time magazine, alongside Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, and Wynton Marsalis. His composition “‘Round Midnight” remains one of the most recorded jazz standards ever written by a single composer, performed by generations of musicians.