Robin D. G. Kelley

This first purely biographical treatment of the landmark jazz composer and pianist brings in a wealth of new material, much of it specifically intended to put paid to Monk's reputation as an enigmatic recluse. Historian Kelley ("Race Rebels: Culture, Politics, and the Black Working Class") draws on new ... (more)personal interviews and unprecedented access to private documents and recordings, filling in some gaps left in previous biographies. A wealth of historical context is richly studded with details of Monk's family background and the broader world in which he lived and worked.