One referred to him as “Elephant on the keys,” but there was nothing accidental or haphazard about his technique. But as a musician, Monk left an impression, one that didn’t necessarily immediately endear him to critics. That’s in part because of the strength of his compositions-memorable, melodic, nodding to classic bebop or ragtime stride piano technique (named because the player’s left hand “strides” across the keys) while taking a wholly unconventional approach to performance and unique reinventions of pieces that would become staples in his repertoire. Miles Davis is one, John Coltrane is another, but the list tapers off pretty soon after that. One need not understand music theory to hear his character in the music-the push and pull of discordant up-and-down scales and harsh crashes of chords in “Brilliant Corners” speak volumes on their own.įew jazz performers or bandleaders have left as big an impact as Thelonious Monk. You typically know a Monk recording when you hear it because of his technique-heavy, percussive, sometimes harsh, sometimes chaotic, but invariably exciting and intense. It’s also true-nobody actually played piano the way that Thelonoius Monk did. That probably sounds like the kind of hyperbole that’s typically reserved for musicians who become revered for generations, and perhaps it is.
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