Thelonious Monk, Legendary Jazz Pianist, Revealed in 1968 Cinéma Vérité Film

Thelonious Monk’s personality was as quirky and original as his piano playing. An elusive, insular figure, Monk was nevertheless persuaded in late 1967 to allow a camera crew to follow him around over an extended period of time for a West German television documentary. The film, Monk (shown above in its entirety), is a fascinating up-close look at one of the giants of Jazz.

The 55-minute movie was shot by the American filmmakers Michael and Christian Blackwood for the networks NDR (North German Broadcasting) and WDR (West German Broadcasting). The Blackwood brothers had unprecedented access to Monk over a six-month period in late 1967 and early 1968, as he and his quartet performed and recorded in New York, Atlanta and Europe. The quartet includes Charlie Rouse on tenor saxophone, Larry Gales on bass and Ben Riley on drums. Although there are a few brief passages of untranslated German narration, the film is basically a cinéma vérité piece on Monk (who speaks English) and his remarkable music.

The Blackwood brothers’ footage, which Stephen Holden of The New York Times called “some of the most valuable jazz sequences ever shot,” later became the nucleus of a longer 1988 documentary produced by Clint Eastwood. You can watch that film and learn more about it in our 2011 post, “Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser.”

Related content:

Thelonious Monk in His Prime: Copenhagen, 1966

Advice From the Master: Thelonious Monk Scribbles a List of Tips for Playing a Gig

10 Great Performances From 10 Legendary Jazz Artists: Django, Miles, Monk, Coltrane & More


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Comments (3)
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  • John Kemp says:

    All the hundreds of times he must by 1968 have performed Round Midnight- surely one of the most harmonically inflexible and distinctive compositions in the repertoire- and it still sounds as fresh, spontaneous and passionate as ever. Amazing man.

  • Jens says:

    Hello World! It´s true: why I am living in germany I cant see this video neither hear the music! (SonyMEGEMAGoogle-discussion)

  • Michael says:

    Arg this link is dead now due to copyright claim. I’m sad now!

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