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. Yet throughout much of his life, his musical contribution took a backseat to tales of his reputed behavior. Writers tended to obsess over Monk's hats or his proclivity to dance on stage. To his fans, he was the ultimate hipster; to his detractors, he was temperamental,...

Matches the tones of the chromatic scale to the values of the color wheel in presenting a portrait of the work of the Afro-American jazz musician and composer of "Mysterioso."

In December 1969, legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk ended his European concert tour with a performance at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. Before the show, he was invited to appear on a French television program to perform and answer questions in an intimate setting. Using newly discovered footage from this recording, director Alain Gomis reveals the disconnect between Monk and his interviewer, Henri Renaud, whose unwittingly trivializing...

A fully rounded portrait of the musician and composer, Thelonious Monk, including clips of international performances and interviews with artists and producers.