EC-CHAP Film Series: "Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser” (PG-13) 1988
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Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser is a 1988 American documentary film about the life of bebop pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. Directed by Charlotte Zwerin, it features live performances by Monk and his group, and posthumous interviews with friends and family. The film was created when a large amount of archived footage of Monk was found in the 1980s.
“Along with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Thelonious Monk is credited as one of the pioneering musicians of bebop and is the second most recorded jazz composer in the world. Charlotte Zwerin's documentary tries to unravel Monk, who was known for having a thorny personality and an aggressive playing technique to match. Interviews with Monk's son and fellow musicians shed some light, and performance footage from a European tour captures his idiosyncratic style.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
The film, made by Clint Eastwood's production company Malpaso Productions, is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures; Eastwood served as executive producer.
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser was first shown at the New York film Festival in October 1989 and opened to strong reviews. A New York Times review claims it as "some of the most valuable jazz ever shot" as the close up shots of Monk's hands on the piano reveals his unusual technique. The film is generally praised for giving an intimate view of the otherwise reserved Monk.
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
“He could see the clear line through to the end of a composition that baffled other people, and his squiggles on a piece of paper, interpreted by Monk as if anybody should have been able to understand them, often turned out to be immortal works of jazz. He gathered other geniuses around him - John Coltrane was a member of his Blue Note band in the late 1950s - and he traveled, recorded, played, composed, jammed, inspired and produced music that changed forever the way that modern jazz sounds.” (Roger Ebert)
“The Monk music that courses through the film is extraordinary in its range of feeling." - Stephen Holden, New York Times
“The musical value of this footage is so powerful that nothing can deface it, despite the best efforts of Zwerin to do so." - Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
"I had heard the music before. What the film gave me was an opportunity to see Thelonious Monk creating some of it, and, just as importantly, an opportunity to see how those who knew him loved him." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Photo by David Redfern
This film is a part of the EC-CHAP Film Series hosted by the Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art, and Performance (EC-CHAP), a 501.3.c non-profit membership-based cultural organization. To learn more and how you can become a member, visit www.ec-chap.org.
Doors 6:30pm / Show 7:00pm. Soft drinks and snacks available. We are pleased to offer our exclusive "BYOB&F" model - Bring Your Own Beverage & Food (Wine & Beer Only - I.D. Required).
For information, please call: 518-791-9474