Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
Along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Thelonious Monk is credited as one of the pioneering musicians of bebop and is the second most recorded jazz composer in the world. Charlotte Zwerin's documentary tries to unravel Monk, who was known for having a thorny personality and an aggressive playing technique to match. Interviews with Monk's son and fellow musicians shed some light, and performance footage from a European tour captures his idiosyncratic style.
Starring Jimmy Cleveland, Harry Colomby, John Coltrane
Director Charlotte Zwerin