
Thelonious Monk
The Life and Times of an American Original
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Narrated by:
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Sean Crisden
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By:
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Robin DG Kelley
About this listen
Thelonious Monk is the critically acclaimed, gripping saga of an artist's struggle to "make it" without compromising his musical vision. It is a story that, like its subject, reflects the tidal ebbs and flows of American history in the 20th century.
To his fans, he was the ultimate hipster; to his detractors, he was temperamental, eccentric, taciturn, or childlike. His angular melodies and dissonant harmonies shook the jazz world to its foundations, ushering in the birth of "bebop" and establishing Monk as one of America's greatest composers.
Elegantly written and rich with humor and pathos, Thelonious Monk is the definitive work on modern jazz's most original composer.
©2009 Robin D. G. Kelley (P)2017 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
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Featured Article: From the Queen of Soul to the Purple One, Hear the Stories of Black Musicians and Artists Who Broke Boundaries
This Black History Month—and every day of the year—we're shining a light on artists and thinkers who demonstrate the boundless depths of Black creativity, joy, and love. We've gathered a list of memoirs by and biographies about artists who totally upended the expectations of a white-dominated field and crafted something entirely their own, making history and changing lives as a result.
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Story
Sonny Rollins has long been considered an enigma. Known as the "Saxophone Colossus," he is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz improvisers of all time. His seven-decade career has been well documented, but the backstage life of the man once called "the only jazz recluse" has gone largely untold—until now. Based on more than 200 interviews with Rollins himself, family members, friends, and collaborators, as well as Rollins' personal archive, Saxophone Colossus is the comprehensive portrait of this legendary saxophonist and composer, civil rights activist and environmentalist.
By: Aidan Levy
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Listen to This
- Miles Davis and Bitches Brew
- By: Victor Svorinich
- Narrated by: John Gagnepain
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Listen to This stands out as the first book exclusively dedicated to Davis' watershed 1969 album, Bitches Brew. Victor Svorinich traces its incarnations and inspirations for 10-plus years before its release. The album arrived as the jazz scene waned beneath the rise of rock and roll and as Davis faced large changes in social conditions affecting the African-American consciousness.
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Very thorough
- By Dave McElfresh on 04-06-19
By: Victor Svorinich
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The Jazzmen
- How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America
- By: Larry Tye
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Satchel and Bobby Kennedy, a sweeping and spellbinding portrait of the longtime kings of jazz—Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie—who, born within a few years of one another, overcame racist exclusion and violence to become the most popular entertainers on the planet.
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Well Organized and Themed
- By unhae campbell on 05-23-24
By: Larry Tye
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Wishing on the Moon
- The Life and Times of Billie Holiday
- By: Donald Clarke
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 17 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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No singer has been more mythologized and more misunderstood than jazz legend Billie Holiday, who helped to create much of the mystique herself with her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues - and this authentic biography sets the record straight. Donald Clarke was given unrivaled access to a treasure trove of interviews from the 1970s with those who knew Lady Day in all stages of her short, tragic life - from her childhood in the streets and good-time houses of Baltimore, through the early days of success in New York and the years of fame, to her tragic decline.
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Comment on the other reviews.
- By Rob G. on 01-22-15
By: Donald Clarke
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Playing Changes
- Jazz for the New Century
- By: Nate Chinen
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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“Playing changes”, in jazz parlance, has long referred to an improviser’s resourceful path through a chord progression. Playing Changes boldly expands on the idea, highlighting a host of significant changes - ideological, technological, theoretical, and practical - that jazz musicians have learned to navigate since the turn of the century. Nate Chinen, who has chronicled this evolution firsthand throughout his journalistic career, vividly sets the backdrop, charting the origins of jazz historicism and the rise of an institutional framework for the music.
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Jazz happens
- By álvaro castro on 02-11-19
By: Nate Chinen
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Hip-Hop Is History
- By: Questlove, Ben Greenman - contributor
- Narrated by: Questlove
- Length: 11 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the audiobook features narration and storytelling by Questlove, who expertly weaves together a rich sonic tapestry of hip-hop tales large and small, well-known and obscure. From hearing “Rapper’s Delight” for the first time in 1979 to directing and producing the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop for the 2023 GRAMMYs, Questlove guides listeners through a musical journey brought to life by Questlove himself.
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Well thought out and enlightening
- By Painterpeet on 10-21-24
By: Questlove, and others
Justice for Monk
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Astonishing
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When does the movie come out!
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Long Live Monk!
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Authoritative and well investigated bio w/analysis
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The book did not let me down and took even further into not just Monk, but the music that evokes the memories and moments of my life.
Absolutely wonderful!
The life of jazz in a jazzed-life
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Every aspect of Monk’s creative life and musical output is completely discussed. This is “The Book” on Mr. Monk. Excellent. 1000 stars
The definitive bio of Monk
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Absolutely Wonderful
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Most importantly, gave me a better understanding of this complex person and genius who has influenced music so profoundly.
Enjoy.
Very Worth Reading
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Wonderful
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