Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer who had a major impact on the development of bebop and modern jazz. He was a pioneer of modern jazz, combining the blues, gospel, and bebop styles of jazz into a unique and highly influential sound. Monk’s compositions and improvisations are known for their complexity and dissonance, and he was an important influence on many jazz musicians. He is considered one of the most important jazz musicians of all time, and his compositions are some of the most recorded in jazz history.
| Name | Thelonious Monk |
| Born | October 10, 1917 |
| Genres | Jazz, Bebop, Hard Bop |
| Instruments | Piano, Vocals |
| Labels | Blue Note, Riverside, Columbia |
| Notable works | Round Midnight, Ruby, My Dear, Well You Needn’t, Straight No Chaser |
10 Best Thelonious Monk Quotes
“I don’t think I’m playing any better now than I did then. I’m just playing differently.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“I don’t want to be classified as any kind of musician. I’m just me.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“You can’t copy nobody else and sound like yourself. You can sound like somebody else, but you can’t sound like yourself unless you do your own thing.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“There’s no way to play wrong notes on the piano.”
– Thelonious Monk, from YouTube
“You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
– Thelonious Monk, from YouTube
“I don’t play standards. I play Monk.”
– Thelonious Monk, from YouTube
“I don’t think I’m playing any better now than I did then. I’m just playing differently.”
– Thelonious Monk, from YouTube
“I’m not the one to say what I am. You’ve got to find that out for yourself.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Culture Trip
“You can’t play anything on the piano that doesn’t sound good.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Culture Trip
8 Inspirational Thelonious Monk Quotes
“You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“There’s no end to what you can do as long as you don’t stop trying.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“You have to live it to be it.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All Music
“I want to make it so that when people hear my stuff they say ‘That sounds like Monk.’”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“I just try to play what I think, and what I feel.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“The piano ain’t got no wrong notes.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“You can play wrong notes, but you can’t play without taste.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“A genius is the one most like himself.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All Music
7 Famous Thelonious Monk Quotes
“A lot of people don’t understand or don’t want to understand what I’m doing.”
– Thelonious Monk, from NPR
“You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“I don’t care too much about that. You know, I just want to play.”
– Thelonious Monk, from NPR
“I don’t try to play nothing but blues, you know. I just play.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“I’m not a genius, I just work hard.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Atlantic
“If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“You can’t copy somebody else and play like him, no matter what.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Atlantic
7 Thelonious Monk Quotes About Love
1.
“Love is the only thing that keeps the world together.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
2.
“If you don’t love it, you can’t play it.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
3.
“Without love, nothing lasts.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
4.
“Love is the most important ingredient in making a good musician.”
– Thelonious Monk, from NPR
5.
“Love is the main thing. Love is the only thing.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
6.
“I think music can tell you if you’ve got love or not.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
7.
“If you don’t love it, it’s gonna die.”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
5 Thelonious Monk Quotes About Life
“There’s no limit to what you can do, if you don’t care who gets the credit for it.”
– Thelonious Monk, from Brain Pickings
“You’ve got to dig it to dig it, you dig?”
– Thelonious Monk, from The Guardian
“I guess I’m just different from the others.”
– Thelonious Monk, from Jazz Encyclopedia
“I don’t think about music, I just play it.”
– Thelonious Monk, from All About Jazz
“I’m not a real musician, I just play one on TV.”
– Thelonious Monk, from Jazz Encyclopedia
8 Quotes About Thelonious Monk
“Monk’s music is the ultimate expression of individuality.”
– Herbie Hancock, from BrainyQuote
“Monk was a musical genius who, while playing the piano, could express all the nuances of human emotion.”
– Ahmir Thompson, from AzQuotes
“Thelonious Monk was a revolutionary in jazz music.”
– Wynton Marsalis, from GoodReads
“Monk’s music is a statement of individuality, self-determination and freedom.”
– Dave Brubeck, from AzQuotes
“When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest.”
– Thelonious Monk, from GoodReads
“Monk was the only one who didn’t copy what other people were playing.”
– Dizzy Gillespie, from BrainyQuote
“Monk was a master of innovation, a visionary who broke through boundaries and changed the face of jazz forever.”
– Robert Glasper, from AzQuotes
Interview with Thelonious Monk
Frequently Asked Questions About Thelonious Monk
1. Where did Thelonious Monk originate from?
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer who was born in North Carolina in 1917. He began playing piano at the age of six and later studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Throughout his career, Monk achieved many accomplishments, receiving Grammy’s for his work.
Monk is widely considered one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time and has been credited with the development of bebop, a style of jazz characterized by fast tempos and complex harmonies. He is also known for his unique improvisational technique, which combined elements of stride, blues and boogie-woogie.
Monk was influenced by many different styles of music including gospel, blues, and classical music. He often incorporated these elements into his compositions, creating a distinct sound. His most famous compositions include “Round Midnight” and “Blue Monk”.
Monk died in 1982 in New York City. He is remembered for his unique musical style and improvisatory techniques, which have influenced many jazz musicians since.
2. What was Thelonious Monk’s musical style?
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer whose unique and highly recognizable style of playing has been described as “unpredictable and unorthodox”. His style is often characterized by angular melodies, dissonant harmonies, and walking bass lines. His playing was often explorative, utilizing dissonance and angularity to create tension and build drama. He often used techniques such as flat-nine chords, whole tone scales, and chromaticism to create an edgy, modern sound.
Monk’s compositions were often highly melodic and often featured catchy, toe-tapping rhythms. He was known for his ability to take simple melodies and turn them into complex pieces. He also incorporated elements of blues and gospel into his music, creating a unique sound that has been described as “a blend of hard-bop and post-bop stylings”.
Some of the characteristics of Monk’s playing include:
- Using dissonance and angularity to create tension and build drama
- Employing flat-nine chords and whole tone scales
- Incorporating elements of blues and gospel
- Crafting simple melodies into complex pieces
Monk’s musical style is often seen as an influence on many modern jazz artists and is considered one of the most important innovators of jazz music.
3. How did Thelonious Monk’s music influence jazz?
Thelonious Monk is considered one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. He broke away from traditional jazz conventions and created a style that was uniquely his own, pushing the boundaries of jazz music in unprecedented ways. His influence can be heard in the works of many other jazz musicians and his impact on the genre is undeniable.
- He is credited with expanding the jazz vocabulary with complex and dissonant chords, unusual rhythms, and angular melodies.
- He was an early pioneer of the use of dissonance and spacing in jazz, introducing counterpoint and contrapuntal melodies.
- He is often cited as the first jazz musician to use the two-handed approach to playing piano, combining left-hand comping with right-hand improvisation.
- He also used extensive vocalizations and scat singing, a technique that became a jazz standard.
- His influence can be heard in the works of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Charles Mingus, among many others.
Monk’s influence extended beyond jazz and can be heard in various genres of music such as rock, funk, and hip hop. He is remembered as one of the most innovative and influential musicians of all time, and his quotes and music continue to inspire musicians and fans alike.
4. What other genres did Thelonious Monk Explore?
Thelonious Monk was a highly influential jazz pianist and composer who was known for his innovative approach to playing and composing. He was known for his experimentation with different musical styles and genres, often blending them together to create something entirely new. Monk explored a variety of musical genres throughout his career, including:
- Bebop
- Hard bop
- Free jazz
- Jazz fusion
- Third stream
- Gospel
- Blues
- R&B
- Gospel
- Latin
Monk’s music was a unique blend of all of these styles, and he often incorporated elements of other genres into his own compositions. He was known for creating complex melodies and rhythms that pushed the boundaries of jazz music.
5. What are some of the most famous Thelonious Monk quotes?
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer, who is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential jazz musicians of all time. His works have been widely quoted, and here are some of the most famous Thelonious Monk quotes:
- “I mean, if you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”
- “Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don’t live it, it won’t come out of your horn.”
- “You can’t copy somebody else and play something different. You got to play you.”
- “The thing is to learn how to improvise and make up your own music.”
- “I don’t believe in categorizing music. That’s like categorizing a rainbow.”
Conclusion
Thelonious Monk was a true visionary who revolutionized jazz and continues to inspire musicians and audiences alike. His unique style and approach to music still stand out today and is a testament to the enduring legacy of one of the greatest jazz artists of all time. His quotes serve as a reminder of his commitment to creating timeless music and his passion for pushing the boundaries of the genre. By exploring his words, we can gain insight into his creative process and gain a greater appreciation for his genius.
