Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser - The Criterion Collection (Blu-ray)

The closest a film camera ever got to enigmatic jazz visionary Thelonious Monk, this intimate portrait sheds light on the corners of a brilliant and complex life. Superbly crafted by Direct Cinema pioneer Charlotte Zwerin from a trove of precious 1960s archival footage, Thelonious Monk Straight, No Chaser captures the pianist, composer, and bebop innovator in rare, unguarded moments on- and offstage, revealing an eccentric and complicated personality. Made with the same freedom of spirit that defines Monk’s artistry, this essential slice of jazz history is a unique glimpse into the quixotic world of one of the twentieth century’s most revolutionary artists.

• United States
• 89 minutes
• Color/Black and White
• 1.33:1
• English
• Spine #1265
• 1988

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

- New 4K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
- Introduction by director Charlotte Zwerin
- New interview with musician T. S. Monk, son of Thelonious Monk
- New program about Zwerin and the making of the film featuring interviews with writer Michael Schulman, editor Bernadine Colish, and Zwerin’s nieces Lisa and Laura Tesone
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by musician and scholar Paul Grimstad

*New cover by Adam Maida