While the 1968 footage caught Monk in a good space, the 1989 interviews with friends and family could have truly told his story-a story that grows dimmer as the years go by. People allude to his "illness"-presumably to the recurring episodes of mental illness that plagued him throughout his life and prevented him from performing in his last six years-but other than some candid words from his son about the difficulties of growing up with an unstable father, most people shy away from the subject. Monk's dark times haunt this film like the dead elephant in the middle of the room. Yet despite all the adversity, Monk managed to create a phenomenal musical legacy. He languished in relative obscurity for years, shunned by a public that considered his music "difficult." When he did finally connect, after recording a well-received album of Ellington standards, he spent many of his most creative years unable to perform in New York City jazz clubs due to his drug bust-he was caught holding Bud Powell's stash and refused to roll over on his friend. As good as Straight, No Chaser is, it would have been all the better for remembering more of this aspect of Monk. But listening to his music, it's impossible to deny the element of play that charmingly informs it. This image of Monk as an impish, joyful trickster is one we frequently lose sight of. The intensity of his discussions with his band over the performance intricacies of his music contrasts with scenes of him dancing on the bandstand, overcome by the sound of that music. Rather than the austere theorist dubbed the "high priest of bebop," Monk comes across as a simple man completely dedicated to and enthralled by his music. In 1989, Charlotte Zwerin took the Blackwood footage and shot new footage of Monk's friends, family members, fellow musicians, and critics discussing the man and his music.Īll told, it's a fascinating look at one of jazz's most enigmatic figures. This treasure trove of film includes many scenes of Monk in performance, preparing for a recording session with producer Teo Macero, and hanging out on tour and at home in New York. Straight, No Chaser is constructed around Michael and Christian Blackwood's extensive 1968 documentary footage of Thelonious Monk.
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