[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 56 (Wednesday, May 10, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A PULITZER FOR THELONIOUS MONK

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2006

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the legendary 
jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. In April, the 90th annual Pulitzer Prizes 
were announced and Monk was selected to receive a posthumous Award 
``for a body of distinguished and innovative musical composition that 
has had a significant and enduring impact on the evolution of jazz.''
  Every few generations there are people who come along that change the 
way we look at the world, for musical enthusiasts Monk is one of these 
individuals. Tom Carter, President of the Thelonious Monk Institute of 
Jazz, put it quite succinctly when he recently said that Monk's ``. . . 
unique sound and creative spirit revolutionized the music and 
transcends generations.'' Thelonious' piano playing and compositions 
were truly revolutionary and they helped bridge the gap from bebop to 
modern jazz.
  Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982) was one of the architects of bebop 
and his impact as a composer and pianist has had a profound influence 
on every genre of music.
  Monk was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, but his parents, 
Barbara Batts and Thelonious Monk, soon moved the family to New York 
City. Monk began piano lessons as a young child and by the age of 13 he 
had won the weekly amateur contest at the Apollo Theater so many times 
that he was barred from entering. At the age of 19, Monk joined the 
house band at Minton's Playhouse in Harlem, where along with Charlie 
Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and a handful of other players, he developed 
the style of jazz that came to be known as bebop. Monk's compositions, 
among them ``'Round Midnight,'' were the canvasses over which these 
legendary soloists expressed their musical ideas.
  In 1947, Monk made his first recordings as a leader for Blue Note. 
These albums are some of the earliest documents of his unique 
compositional and improvisational style, both of which employed unusual 
repetition of phrases, an offbeat use of space, and joyfully dissonant 
sounds. In the decades that followed, Monk played on recordings with 
Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Sonny Rollins and recorded as a leader 
for Prestige Records and later for Riverside Records. Brilliant Corners 
and Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane were two of the albums from this 
period that brought Monk international attention as a pianist and 
composer.
  In 1957, the Thelonious Monk Quartet, which included John Coltrane, 
began a regular gig at the Five Spot. The group's performances were 
hugely successful and received the highest critical praise. Over the 
next few years, Monk toured the United States and Europe and made some 
of his most influential recordings. In 1964, Thelonious Monk appeared 
on the cover of Time magazine, an honor that has been bestowed on only 
three other jazz musicians. By this time, Monk was a favorite at jazz 
festivals around the world, where he performed with his quartet, which 
included long-time associate Charlie Rouse. In the early '70s he 
discontinued touring and recording and appeared only on rare occasions 
at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival.
  Thelonious passed away on February 5, 1982. His more than 70 
compositions are classics which continue to inspire artists in all 
forms of music. In his lifetime he received numerous awards and 
continues to be honored posthumously. The Smithsonian Institution has 
immortalized his work with an archive of his music. In addition, the 
U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in his honor. A feature documentary 
on Monk's life, Straight, No Chaser, was released to critical acclaim. 
Monk's integrity, originality, and unique approach set a standard that 
is a shining example for all who strive for musical excellence.
  Monk is the first jazz musician and composer to receive the honor 
since 1999, when a Special Citation was awarded to Duke Ellington on 
the centennial of his birth. In addition to Ellington and Monk, only 
three other jazz composers have been recipients of the Pulitzer: George 
Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and Wynton Marsalis.

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