Thelonious Monk at 100: Enduring Questions

A Lecture by 

Gabriel Solis

Thursday, October 13, 2016, 7pm
101 Prentis Hall
632 West 125th Street
New York, NY 10027
Columbia University Manhattan-ville Campus

Event Description:

At thirty, Thelonious Monk—largely unknown except to a small coterie of the hippest jazz insiders—made his first recordings as a leader; at forty he was a controversial, but increasingly well-known figure on the New York jazz scene; at fifty he was one of Columbia’s most visible and prestigious jazz artists, along with Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck. In the years since his retreat from the public eye and untimely death, Monk’s star waned and then waxed to where he stands today: unquestionably canonical. The last twenty years have seen the production of a substantial body of critical and scholarly writing on Monk, and the intensive reflection on his work by fellow musicians. The coming Monk centennial year offers an ideal opportunity to reflect on this legacy and investigate the enduring questions it raises. Ultimately this talk will ask the fundamental question: what is Monk’s place in jazz history, and what does his legacy at 100 tell us about the long trajectory of the jazz tradition?

All events are free and open to the public; however, an RSVP is required. Please contact ym189@columbia.edu to secure your spot at any of our events.