“Thelonious Monk was — is — the most fascinating figure in the history of jazz. Yet few Monk
biographies have been written, and they tend to rehash the same material. That’s partly
because Monk was a hard man to pin down. He rarely spoke to writers – or anyone else, for
that matter – and when he did, he responded to most questions curtly, if at all. It was partially a
game and it was partially a mental-health issue, but it prevented people from seeing Monk
beyond his music. Of course, that’s how he wanted it.

Biographies of the pianist and composer have tended to disappoint; Laurent de Wilde’s Monk’
(1996) is remarkably unrewarding. But now we have an intriguing idea, and a rich reading
experience, in The Thelonious Monk Reader. Here, Monk comes alive, through old magazine
stories, newspaper profiles, interviews, liner notes, record reviews, concert critiques,
remembrances, and essays. Not only do we get reminiscences on Monk’s music and life, but we
get to read what people were writing about him before and while he was at his peak.” Boston Globe