Thelonious Monk played notes that sounded wrong to everyone except Thelonious Monk. His angular melodies, dissonant chords, and unpredictable silences baffled critics and audiences for years before the world caught up and recognized him as one of the most original composers in jazz history.

This episode traces Monk from his childhood in San Juan Hill, Manhattan, through the birth of bebop at Minton’s Playhouse, his cabaret card revocation, and his long retreat into silence.

• He was a key figure in the development of bebop at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem
• He lost his New York cabaret card and was unable to perform in the city for six years
• Round Midnight is one of the most recorded jazz compositions of all time
• He spent his final years in near-total silence, withdrawing from both music and public life