at 21:30

Monk

1968

(58 min.)

Thelonious Monk is indisputably among the greatest jazz musicians of the 20th century. Monk constitutes the first part of a portrait of the great pianist and composer by brothers and co-directors Michael and Christian Blackwood. Blackwood's austere directorial style restores the figure of a discreet and far from flamboyant genius, a man of few words, whose seemingly intoxicated air from distracted mutterings and childish stumbles offstage completely melted away once he sat down at the piano. Monk sits with a stone face on his throne, legs crooked and feet animated erratic jerks and taps pounding the floor to rhythm, while his heavy, ring-laden fingers hammer the keys to make his Steinway sing with dissonance. to New York his quartet played at the Village Vanguard and in recording sessions for Columbia Records; in Atlanta he performed at a Jazz Festival organized from George Wein. Members of the quartet were Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley.

at 22:30

Monk in Europe

1968

(58 min.)

Monk in Europe is the second part, made from Michael and Christian Blackwood's portrait of Thelonious Monk. The Blackwood brothers follow the legendary jazz pianist and composer along with his quartet on their European tour, where they are joined by musicians Ray Copeland, Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Jimmy Cleveland and Johnny Griffin. They traveled as part of George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival road company to London, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Mainz and Rotterdam.

Italian subtitles