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Straight, No Chaser: The Life and Genius of Thelonious Monk
This biography of the legendary pianist/composer tells the story of the tragic life and creative genius of Monk. Based on scores of interviews with his family, friends, and compatriots.
Paperback, 340 pages
Published
December 1st 1998
by Omnibus Press
(first published 1997)
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A very good biography on truly one of the great composers of the 20th Century. There are two great piano players in the 20th Century. One is Glenn Gould and surely the other is Thelonious Monk. I think of them both when I hear their music. Not sure why? I think because both had such an unique way of looking at their material. And of course both are eccentric characters - but beyond that surface comparison there is something so pure and beautiful about their playing and how they look at the...more
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Possibly my first one star review. Not entirely useless, especially because there are no other Monk bios, but absolutely piecemeal from an academic point of view, and dreadful from a literary perspective. No sense of narrative scope, research seems half-assed at best, and Gourse seems uninterested in taking a critical or historical stand on any topic, and often resorts to merely quoting contemporary newspaper reviews of Monk's performances. Anybody interested in Monk would be better served by a ...more
Ray
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a wonderful look at the life of a quirky, yet brilliant, musician.
this book is the shit. i love jazz, and i love thelonious monk. he certainly had a reputation as creative and challenging figure, and reading this book fills in the gaps between the reputation and the reality. filled with vivid descriptions of his sessions, his home, his partner nellie and all the characters that inhabited his world, i found this book to be totally compelling and was sad to ultimately complete. a must for all fans of his work...as a companion piece, do view the video of this fro...more
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