A fascinating glimpse at the off-stage life and on-stage artistry of jazz great Thelonious Monk arrives in the Criterion Collection with Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser.
The Production: 5/5
The first thing you see in director Charlotte Zwerin’s mesmerizing documentary Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser is the artist himself, twirling in circles on stage, as his band plays behind him. He’s lost in the moment, a revolving reverie — as it happens, a decidedly apt visual metaphor for what the man born Thelonious Sphere Monk and his music evokes in the mind.
That sense of whirling never really ceases for the next 90 minutes, as Direct Cinema pioneer and one-time Maysles brothers’ collaborator Zwerin stitches together a portrait of an artist known in his notes, but diffident almost to the point of antagonism off stage. Capturing the lives of artists, particularly musicians, and illuminating them in some way beyond “Hey, watch these talented individuals play for people or record in a studio” is a Herculean feat — that task becomes nearly Sisyphean when contending with a mercurial genius like Monk.
A man who suffered no fools — one of the most amusing scenes in Zwerin’s film is the sight of Monk agitated that producer Teo Macero won’t follow his instructions; “Why won’t people just do what I ask them?!” — and conjured a peculiar, brilliant beauty when he sat down at his Steinway piano, Monk is vividly documented here, but arguably no more understood when the film concludes.
That the pianist, arranger and composer remains elusive is no fault of Zwerin’s, or the filmmakers whose vintage work she utilizes alongside newly filmed interviews with a range of people in Monk’s orbit, from his son — who states with no little irony that his father was “a complex individual” — to his bandmates and business associates, coupled with a series of duo-piano performances by Tommy Flanagan and Barry Harris. (Noted jazz aficionado Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer of Straight, No Chaser, the second film on the subject he participated in during 1988, the other being Bird, his biopic about Charlie Parker.)
The images captured by Christian and Michael Blackwood during a 1967 European tour, as well as stops in New York and Atlanta, form the meat of Straight, No Chaser, with other television appearances sprinkled throughout. The constant is Monk, smoking, swirling and creating without ever seeming to slow down — the spin of his mind finds its way to his fingers on the keys, conjuring sounds which still captivate more than a half century after their creation. Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser is a triumph of collage, a whirling inspiration, and a film which brings you close-up to a master and allows you to watch him work.
Video: 4/5
3D Rating: NA
Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser makes its Criterion Collection debut with a 1.33:1 fullscreen presentation in 1080p resolution. Per the included booklet, this new 4K restoration was created from a 35mm blowup interpositive. Zwerin’s film mixes color footage from her contemporary, talking-head interviews with black and white archival clips, most of which are of subpar quality (filmed on stages with low lighting or in the hallways of music venues).
Given that fact, the visual presentation here is about as solid as can be hoped for, since there are moments, especially during the monochromatic segments, where it can be difficult to discern precisely what’s happening. Nevertheless, on the whole, Straight, No Chaser exhibits plenty of fine detail and nicely resolved grain, with any noticeable visual blemishes (the on-screen graphics listing song titles, for example, are consistently blown out or blurry, which would seem inherent to the print itself) too fleeting to be very distracting.
Audio: 4.5/5
While die-hard fans of Monk’s expansive catalog might wish for a more robust aural presentation, what is included on this Blu-ray more than suffices. Outfitted with a Dolby Digital mono track (remastered, per the included booklet, from the original six-track 35mm magnetic DME track), Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser fuses extensive performance sequences with interview segments, both of which are heard free from any notable distortion or significant defect.
There are, however, moments in the archival scenes where, much like the visuals, it can be momentarily difficult to discern what is being said or played, but these instances are very brief and don’t detract from the overall presentation. Especially given the six-track source for the sound, it’s a bit disappointing that there’s no DTS or Dolby Atmos surround option here — especially for Monk’s performances, never mind the newly filmed piano duos captured by Zwerin — but such a thought feels a bit like quibbling. Optional English subtitles are included.
Special Features: 4/5
The Criterion Collection does a superb job here providing additional context and insight not only into Thelonious Monk, but also director Charlotte Zwerin’s life and work. A 2003 filmed introduction from Zwerin is included (5:10; Dolby Digital 1.0 mono; 1.33.1 fullscreen), as is the featurette “Charlotte Zwerin: Director, Editor, Innovator” (23:48; Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo; 1.33.1 fullscreen and 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen), which features interviews with New Yorker writer Michael Schulman, editor Bernadine Colish and Zwerin’s nieces Laura and Lisa Tesone; a newly filmed interview with Monk’s son, T.S. Monk (24:37; Dolby Digital 1.0 mono; 1.33.1 fullscreen and 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen) and the film’s trailer (1:21; Dolby Digital 1.0 mono; 1.33.1 fullscreen).
A booklet, featuring an essay from musician and scholar Paul Grimstad and technical information about the video and audio restoration, is included in the disc case.
Overall: 5/5
The first thing you see in director Charlotte Zwerin’s mesmerizing documentary Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser is the artist himself, twirling in circles on stage, as his band plays behind him. He’s lost in the moment, a revolving reverie — as it happens, a decidedly apt visual metaphor for what the man born Thelonious Sphere Monk and his music evoke in the mind.
That sense of whirling never really ceases for the next 90 minutes, as Direct Cinema pioneer and one-time Maysles brothers’ collaborator Zwerin stitches together a portrait of an artist known in his notes, but diffident almost to the point of antagonism off stage. That Monk remains elusive is no fault of Zwerin’s, or the filmmakers whose vintage work she utilizes alongside newly filmed interviews with a range of people in Monk’s orbit, from his son — who states with no little irony that his father was “a complex individual” — to his bandmates and business associates, coupled with a series of duo-piano performances by Tommy Flanagan and Barry Harris.
Pairing a 4K restoration of the acclaimed documentary with some well-chosen supplements, this package is a gift for fans of the film, and a welcome addition to the Criterion Collection. Very highly recommended.
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