Description

A celebration of the life and legend of jazz great Thelonious Monk from his pioneering days as a bebop revolutionary, and hear how he was both a great mentor and family man from his son, T. S. We’ll talk with biographer Robin Kelley about Monk’s life and music, explore how Monk’s battle with mental illness shaped his life and career, and hear how Monk’s masterpiece “‘Round Midnight” became the most recorded jazz standard of all time.

Episode Transcript

Host: Jeff Haas

Guests: Robin Kelley, T. S. Monk

Music

• Thelonious Monk “Ruby, My Dear”
• Thelonious Monk “Boo Boo's Birthday (Take 2)”
• Thelonious Monk “Bye-Ya”
• Thelonious Monk “Thelonious”
• Thelonious Monk “‘Round Midnight”
• Thelonious Monk “Monk’s Mood”
• Thelonious Monk “Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are” 
• Thelonious Monk “Blue Monk”
• Thelonious Monk “Four in One”
• Thelonious Monk “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”
• Thelonious Monk “Off Minor”
• Thelonious Monk “Teo”
• Thelonious Monk “Blue Bolivar Blues (Take 1)”
• Miles Davis “‘Round Midnight”
• Thelonious Monk “‘Round Midnight (Live, from Straight, No Chaser)”
• Thelonious Monk “‘Round Midnight (debut recording)” 
• Joe Pass “‘Round Midnight”
• Thelonious Monk Trio “Bemsha Swing”
• Thelonious Monk “Crepuscule with Nellie”
• Thelonious Monk “Little Rootie Tootie”

Original Air Date: November 23, 2012

Radio broadcast produced by Lou Blouin and Jeff Haas

Radio broadcast audio engineering by Jack Conners and Brock Mormon

Podcast audio remastering by Sam Boase-Miller

Transcripts by Erik Saras

Theme Song: Jeff Haas Trio & Friends “Giving In”

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The New Jazz Archive radio broadcasts originally sponsored by Chateau Chantal. The New Jazz Archive receives no revenue from podcast reissues of radio broadcasts.