Back To Index Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
 Barnes & Noble Expanding on footage of Monks 1967 tour shot by Christian Blackwood, Charlotte Zwering (Gimme Shelter) has created the definitive filmic portrait of the master bop pianist-composer. This captivating DVD digs deeper into the life of the famously eccentric pianist-composer than the Ken Burnss tepid coffeetable documentary Jazz ever thought to. A few shades different than the Burns films monosyllabic, near-silent weirdo, Straight, No Chaser fleshes out Monks character considerably -- from his harmonic theories to his use of quarter-tones (produced by hitting two adjacent piano keys simultaneously and occasionally even striking the boards with his entire forearm or his foot) to his mysterious relationship with his patron, baronness Nica de Koenigswarter. "Pannonica," a lyrical paean to her, is included on the soundtrack. Monks music, naturally, is at the center of this canny portrait, giving fans cause to rejoice since most of the movies performances had been previously unavailable in any form. The more interesting excavations include footage of his near-forgotten 1967 octet and rare recordings of club performances and rehearsal takes of Monk standards like "Well, You Neednt," "Trinkle Tinkle," "Evidence," and the title song. More curious is the inclusion of "Lulus Back in Town," a corny Harry Warren-Al Dubin ditty, which Monk plays solo in a mellow homage to his stride predecessors. Straight, No Chaser is essential viewing for both jazz experts and novices, a smart, unflinching glance at one of 20th-Century musics greatest minds. Eddy Crouse Interested in the song lyrics? - Check out themostlyrics.com! Looking For A DVD? - Check out dvd-a-rama.com! |
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