Main Cast: Charles Rouse, Harry Colomby, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Thelonious Monk
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
This documentary of the late jazz great Thelonius Monk) (1917-1982) uses footage taken from 14 hours of European concert performances filmed in 1967-68 by Christian Blackwood. From his childhood in New York City's San Juan Hill, Monk grew up to become one of the most innovative jazz pianists of all time. Monk ushered in the bebop era of the 1940s and influenced such contemporary greats as Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Interviews with Monk's manager Harry Colomby and Monk's son and namesake shed light on the character of the jazz giant. Executive producer Clint Eastwood got the idea for the project while researching the life of Charlie Parker for his film Bird. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
Thelonius Monk: Straight, No Chaser is an absolute treasure trove for jazz aficionados in general and Thelonius Monk devotees in particular. Most viewers who do not fall into either camp should still find a lot to enjoy in Chaser, but be warned: some people never were able to "get into" Monk's music, and those people may find Chaser less rewarding. That's largely because the bulk of Chaser is made up of wonderful, rare archival footage from concerts that the jazz legend gave in 1968. It's a little disappointing that there's not more depth to the interviews, which could have led to a better understanding of Monk the person. But the fact of the matter is that Monk was a mystery; he suffered from some form of unspecified mental illness that made relating to other people, or revealing much of himself to others, very difficult. With that in mind, Chaser succeeds quite well, for it presents enough information about the man to leave audiences as puzzled as many of his long time acquaintances were by him. As mentioned earlier, however, the real gold of Chaser is in the performance segments, which reveal Monk as a true genius of both composition and interpretation -- and a man with a style of playing the piano that was truly his own. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser (1988) is a documentary about the life of Thelonious Monk. Produced by Clint Eastwood, and 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[2].
