Music 80E: History of "Jazz"
Dr. Karlton E. Hester, Fall Quarter 2002

Title: Thelonious Monk [videorecording] : American composer / directed by Matthew Seig ; written by Quincy Troupe ; produced by Toby Byron and Richard Saylor ; a co-production of Toby Byron/Multiprises in association with Taurus Film, Munich and VideoArts, Japan
Published: New York, N.Y. : BMG Video, c1993

1. Billy Taylor said that Thelonious Monk stuck completely to his own artistic vision and made it _____________________.
   
   
2. Monk’s style is instantly and infinitely identifiable. He combined _____________________ and _____________________ stylistic elements, as Weston pointed out.
   
   
3. _____________________ observed that Monk’s music was infused with _____________________ and inventiveness while remaining firmly grounded in blues, stride piano, swing and modern musical styles.
   
   
4. _____________________ said his father was always into his own thing.
   
   
5. Monk played the _____________________ as a child before switching to piano (which his sister also played) as a consequence
   of _____________________.
   
   
6. Monk’s values included religion, education and _____________________.
   
   
7. When Monk performed at Minton’s the club had the "hippest" fans in _____________________. Charlie Christian, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Monk and the hand full of progenitors of bebop produced cutting-edge music every night.
   
   
8. _____________________ had phenomenal technique at the piano which allowed him to execute an endless array of virtuoso passes that characterized bop piano style. Monk’s style was contrasting. He created an opposing style that emphasized musical space and an _____________________.
   
   
9. People could not understand why _____________________ chose Monk as his pianist, but _____________________ appreciated the importance of Monk’s contribution to the evolution of the music.
   
   
10. Monk’s individual expression incorporated _____________________ displacement that stimulated the musical thinking and musical approach of Parker, Gillespie and other bop musicians who began moving beyond the bar lines in their musical phrasing.
    
    
11. The influence of the tradition established Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and other early pianists were evident in Monk’s _____________________ style.
    
    
12. _____________________ was carrying narcotics when he and Monk were stopped by federal agents. Knowing that Powell had been arrested several times for drugs, Monk took the rap for the offense causing him to lose his _____________________.
    
    
13. Billy Taylor thought that Monk’s loss of his _____________________ was a reflection of _____________________ aimed at minimizing the number of African American musicians working downtown in New York.
    
    
14. Without a _____________________ Monk could not work at _____________________ or _____________________, effectively thwarting his ability to make a living for his family in New York. During this period Monk _____________________ and spent time with his family.
    
    
15. _____________________ was apparently involved in making musical decisions (especially regarding repertoire) regarding Monk’s music even though he was not a musician.
    
    
16. Randy Weston points out that, like most Global African music, Monk’s music involves the musical language of _____________________. He would also _____________________ at and around the piano because Monk realized that his music (like the music of the innovators that preceded him) was _____________________ music.
    
    
17. After visiting Monk a couple of times (for many hours), and listening to him play, Weston realized that Monk used _____________________ to communicate his musical ideas.
    
    
18. Weston said that Monk's humorous lines were used to communicate. Following one of those lines all the way down the piano also revealed _____________________.
    
    
19. _____________________ recalled that Monk would practice a song like "Lulu’s Back in Town" for at least _____________________ hours in tempo without a break.
    
    
20. _____________________ appreciated Monk’s genius and was a true patron of the arts.
    
    
21. When Monk performed with _____________________ at the Five Spot he introduced _____________________ to a wealth of harmonic ideas. These ideas enhanced _____________________ understanding of the blues matrix, which he took back to Miles’ band. As a consequence, both musicians moved away from more Eurocentric songs towards the expanded harmonic implications that could be applied to _____________________ composition.

Back to Top

Living Encyclopedia of Global African Music
Received 11/15/2002
Posted 11/15/2002