A Selection of Monk Sources

Abstract

Jazz research materials occupy an unsettled position in the bibliographic universe, poorly served by periodical indexes and bibliographies and often ephemeral, out of print, or hidden away in books. Much writing appears first in liner notes or unindexed periodicals and then finds its way into unindexed book chapters, moving from one murky area to another. Jazz magazines go in and out of print, and due to their often ephemeral nature and inadequate distribution, many never make it into library collections. In the case of Thelonious Monk, most writing about him could until recently be found in liner notes and periodical articles (with a great deal of borrowing between these two mediums), relying on a very small set of biographical facts. The material consists mostly of biographical profiles and reviews of recordings, with some analytical and critical commentary interspersed throughout. Critical appraisal in the form of extended essays has been sporadic, and analysis, at least the kind that relies on musical notation and terminology, has until recently only been available in theses and dissertations. A chronology of the literature on Monk begins with profile pieces introducing him to the public (late 1940s), followed by critical appraisals of his music (late 1950s), interviews and descriptions of his career and life (1960s-1970s), retrospectives (1980s), and finally; monographs and analyses (1990s). The items listed here represent a basic collection of sources relating to Monk and his music. They include all of the monographs and selections from English-language periodicals, book chapters, liner notes, documentaries, and World Wide Web sites. Books Buin, Yves. 1988. Thelonious Monk (in French). Paris: P.O.L. Organized around Monk's compositions, his associations with other musicians, and New York, this is a poetic interpretation relying on personal reflections with staccato-like delivery. Commentary on specific recordings is interwoven with biographical circumstances. This book depends almost exclusively on French sources. de Wilde, Laurent. 1997. Monk. Translated by Jonathan Dickinson. New York: Marlowe. (Originally published as Monk. Paris: Editions Gallimard, 1996.) This is no biography but rather an insightful and passionate essay by a Monk-worshiping jazz pianist that is low on facts and high on personal opinion. De Wilde's style emulates New York hipster lingo, so that the book reads like stream of consciousness. Fitterling, Thomas. 1997. Thelonious Monk: His life and music. Translated by Robert Dobbin. Foreword by Steve Lacy. Berkeley, Calif.: Berkeley Hill Books. (Originally published as Thelonious Monk: Seine Leben, seine Musik, seine Schallplaten. Waakirchen, Germany: Oreos Verlag, 1987.) The 1987 German edition of this book was the first book-length treatment of Monk, and it was conceived as part of the Collection Jazz series, in which each volume presents a brief biography, a discussion of the music, and an album-by-album description of recorded works, including photos of album covers. This is not an in-depth study, but it works well as an introduction to Monk. Gourse, Leslie. 1997. Straight, no chaser: The life and genius of Thelonious Monk. New York: Schirmer. This book is the first English-language biography on Monk, a stringing together of quotes from existing sources and much-needed new interviews with fellow musicians, friends, and family, which were conducted by Gourse. Included is substantiated speculation on Monk's mental health; lacking is any discussion of the music. Ponzio, Jacques, and Francois Postif. 1995. Blue Monk: Un portrait de Thelonious. Aries: Actes Sud. This is a solid biography by two longtime commentators for Jazz Hot and Jazz Magazine. The book is dependent on previously published material, some of it by the authors, with useful appendixes on Monk's compositions, compositions dedicated to Monk, a discography, and a chronology. …