Thelonious Monk: The Sphere of Jazz Behind Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk is perhaps one of the most widely played jazz composers of all time. When comparing their art, with Duke Ellington’s list of written songs in the high 1000s range and with around 70 attributed to Monk, this is really a remarkable feat, much like the character of Thelonius ‘Sphere’ Monk himself. Born in North Carolina in 1917 to a relatively unremarkable family, Monk moved to New York at the tender age of 4, which would end up his home base and represents the social origin of his musicianship and career. While Thelonious was in grade school, his sister received piano lessons, which he began absorbing, and when she finally decided to quit he became her former teacher’s star pupil. While living in New York, Monk was recruited to join the house band at Milton’s Playhouse by Kenny Clarke, which was the start to his long and storied musical career. At Minton’s, late-night jam sessions and so-called ‘cutting contests’, in which musicians repeatedly tried to outperform each other until they couldn’t continue, Monk was really in the center of the budding bebop movement. Accompanying musicians like Charlie Christian and Dizzy Gillespie, among other extremely proficient players, he joined the ranks of boppers countrywide…show more content… From 1947 on, he began to form bands of his own, with the Blue Note sessions of 1947 bringing him into the limelight as a major player in jazz. Notable drummer Art Blakey accompanied Monk on these recordings, which have since been used by music teachers as lessons. From that session came ‘Round Midnight’, which immediately became a success, as well as ‘Ruby My Dear’, ‘Well You Needn’t’, and ‘In Walked Bud’, which have since become known as jazz
