Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus are two of the most influential figures in jazz history. Monk, with his unique piano style and compositions, helped define the bebop era in the 1940s and 50s. Mingus gained fame as an upright bassist, composer and bandleader in the 1950s and 60s. Their music continues to inspire jazz musicians and listeners today.
Monk’s Early Years
Thelonious Monk was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina in 1917 and grew up in New York City. As a teenager, he began playing piano professionally, drawing influence from the emerging bebop style of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. In the early 1940s, Monk was the house pianist at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem, where he participated in legendary late-night jam sessions that shaped the bebop movement.
Monk began leading his own groups and recording as a leader in 1947. His unique harmonic sensibility, off-kilter rhythms, and sparse piano style were initially met with resistance. But over time, jazz fans and fellow musicians came to appreciate Monk’s innovative musical genius. In the 1950s, he released several classic albums including Genius of Modern Music, Thelonious Monk Trio, Brilliant Corners, and Monk’s Music.
Mingus’ Early Years
Charles Mingus grew up mainly in Los Angeles in the 1920s and 30s. He took up the cello as a child before transitioning to bass. Mingus gained early exposure to jazz by attending late-night jam sessions on Los Angeles’ Central Avenue while still a teenager.
In the 1940s, Mingus began gaining recognition as a bassist, working with major swing bandleaders like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton. However, Mingus’ volatile temperament led to clashes with bandleaders and sidemen. It was not until the 1950s that Mingus would truly come into his own creatively.
Settling in New York in the early 50s, Mingus co-founded the Jazz Composers Workshop to showcase more adventurous, complex jazz compositions. He also released a series of acclaimed albums as a bandleader in the 1950s including Pithecanthropus Erectus, The Clown, and Tijuana Moods.
Did Mingus and Monk Ever Record Together?
Despite their close association with the New York jazz scene in the 1950s, Mingus and Monk never actually recorded an album together as co-leaders or even sidemen on the same session.
However, Mingus did participate in a couple of significant Monk recording sessions:
- In 1957, Mingus played bass on Monk’s Brilliant Corners album, considered one of Monk’s masterpieces. The notoriously demanding Monk seemed to appreciate Mingus’ technical abilities and adventurous musical spirit.
- In 1959, Mingus took part in Monk’s Big Band and Quartet in Concert, an important live album featuring Monk’s compositions arranged for big band.
Beyond his official involvement in these sessions, Mingus did occasionally sit in with Monk’s groups during the 1950s and 60s when they were performing in some of the same New York jazz clubs.
Why Didn’t They Collaborate More?
Despite their mutual respect and compatibly bold musical visions, several factors may have limited more extensive collaborations between Monk and Mingus:
- Very different musical personalities: While they shared a penchant for unconventionality, Monk had an understated, refined style compared to Mingus’ more extroverted, bombastic approach.
- Divergent bandleading styles: Both were uncompromising leaders firmly set in their ways, which could have led to clashes if jointly leading a group.
- Mingus’ temperament: Mingus was notoriously volatile and intolerant of mistakes by sidemen, which may have dissuaded Monk from hiring him.
- Busy schedules: They each led their own busy performing and recording schedules in the 1950s and 60s, allowing less time for collaborations.
However, even with their limited recorded output together, Mingus and Monk remain linked as pioneering iconoclasts who shaped modern jazz.
Live Performances Together
Although they didn’t extensively record together, Monk and Mingus did occasionally share the stage during live performances in the 1950s and 60s:
- In 1953, Mingus is known to have sat in with Monk’s ensemble during a residency at New York’s Five Spot Cafe.
- Mingus participated in Monk’s historic 1959 big band concert at New York’s Town Hall documented on the album Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall.
- According to some accounts, Mingus may have performed with Monk’s quartet at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival.
- They collaborated in smaller jam sessions at New York jazz clubs like the Five Spot and Half Note during the late 1950s.
Unfortunately, very few live recordings exist to document these intersections between two of the greatest creative minds in jazz history.
Mingus Compositions Inspired by Monk
Although they didn’t extensively record together, Monk was still a major inspiration for Mingus as a composer:
- Mingus recorded two different songs titled “Monk’s Mood” in honor of his friend and collaborator.
- Mingus also recorded several interpretations of Monk compositions including “‘Round Midnight” and “Epistrophy.”
- Mingus incorporated unorthodox, ‘Monk-like’ dissonances and off-kilter rhythms in pioneering pieces like “Pithecanthropus Erectus” and “Haitian Fight Song.”
In addition to their direct collaborations, Mingus honored Monk by infusing elements of Monk’s singular style into his own groundbreaking works as both a bassist and composer.
Shared Influence and Legacy
Although their recorded output together was relatively limited, Monk and Mingus both left lasting impacts on jazz:
- They pushed boundaries as composers, creating ambitious works inspired by diverse sources from Duke Ellington to classical music.
- Both helped establish the bass and piano as dynamic frontline solo instruments in jazz combos rather than just supporting roles.
- Their music exemplified jazz as a means for emotional expression and serious artistic discourse, not just entertainment.
- With their unconventional techniques and sounds, Monk and Mingus expanded the possibilities for melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic exploration in jazz.
Together on those handful of recordings and live performances, Monk and Mingus demonstrated the exciting creative sparks that can happen when two iconoclastic jazz masters come together. Although their output as collaborators was limited, they nonetheless represent two towering, interconnected pillars of modern jazz.
Conclusion
In summary, while Monk and Mingus had a mutual admiration for each other and occasionally performed together in the 1950s and 60s, they never extensively recorded or toured jointly as co-leaders. Differing musical personalities, busy schedules, and other factors prevented them from collaborating together more often. However, both helped push jazz in bold new directions through their uncompromising artistic visions. Mingus honored Monk both through recording interpretations of his music and infusing Monk-inspired elements into his own innovative compositions. Though their direct output together is limited, Monk and Mingus remain linked as two of the foremost creative forces in the evolution of modern jazz.