Following Monk
Wednesday, September 19 2007
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It would be a challenge to find someone who hasn't encountered the music of Thelonious Monk...even if they aren't aware of it. The esoteric icon is credited as a founding father of bebop music and a composer of some of the most brilliant tunes in jazz. As a child, Monk's family left his native Rocky Mount for New York City, where he developed his unique musical style. Still, you can hear the pianist's North Carolina roots in nearly every one of his compositions. Host Frank Stasio explores how this regional connection influenced the music of a jazz giant with Sam Stephenson, director of The Jazz Loft Project at Duke University; Aaron Greenwald, director of Duke Performances; David Harrington, founder of the Kronos Quartet; and Jason Moran, a contemporary jazz pianist in the Monk tradition.
