Clint Eastwood Presents Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser 1988

Composer and pianist Thelonious Monk has been known until today as the eccentric genius of jazz. Charlotte Zwerin’s film about the “high priest of bebop and modern jazz” had its beginnings in 1967 when documentary film-maker Michael Blackwood was commissioned by West German Television to make a one hour film about Monk. He accompanied the mercurial music master over a six-month period capturing Monk on and offstage, Monk in the studio and Monk on the road, Monk at work and Monk at rest in New York, Atlanta and several European cities. With this footage, which until 1981 was "just sitting there like the Dead Sea Scrolls of jazz" (Bruce Ricker), supplemented by newly-filmed interviews, new interpretations of Monk's music by Barry Harris and Tommy Flanagan and rare archival photographs, Zwerin has realised a vibrant portrait revealing Monk's complex character, his dramatic mood swings, his idiosyncratic irreverence and his legendary sense of humour which also fleshes out the nature of his musical contributions. Come and listen to ''Rhythm-A-Ning”, ''Ugly Beauty'', “Crepuscule with Nellie,” “Evidence”, "Blue Monk", "Epistrophy". It's Monk Time!

"The film's late-60's portions, which document a European tour and also catch Monk playing in clubs and in recording sessions, are some of the most valuable jazz sequences ever shot." Stephen Holden, New York Times

"Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser is the best documentary on the subject of jazz ever made."