Ancient Quote by Randy Weston

There was a lot that was tricky about playing with [Thelonious Monk]. It's a musical language where there's really no lyrics. It's something you…

— Roy Haynes

[Thelonious] Monk is a subject in itself. I mean, most piano players in most big bands sit down and they play with the band,…

— Ray Brown

He [Thelonious Monk] played each note as though astonished by the previous one, as though every touch of his fingers on the keyboard was…

— Geoff Dyer

One very important thing I learned from Monk was his complete dedication to music. That was his reason for being alive. Nothing else mattered…

— Sonny Rollins

“Monk's reasons for dancing during a performance: "I get tired sitting down at the piano! That way I can dig the rhythm better.”

— Thelonious Monk

He was seriously thinking of becoming a monk. He thought he had to be celibate to maintain the purity of his instrument, but my…

— Mimi Rogers

Every few generations there are people who come along that change the way we look at the world, for musical enthusiasts Monk is one…

— John Conyers

Monk taught me more about music composition than anyone else on 52nd Street.

— Miles Davis

“In trying to capture the beautiful mystery, this monk had invented written music. Not yet notes, what he’d written became known as neumes.”

— Louise Penny

The soul of our music, The Monkees' music, lies somewhere inbetween the 1 1/2 , the 2 1/2, the 3 3/4 and th giant C-major chord on the piano!

— Frank Zappa

I was spoiled by Monk's music because it was so good, so complete.

— Steve Lacy

Trane was the perfect saxophonist for Monk's music because of the space that Monk always used. Trane could fill up all that space with…

— Miles Davis