Thelonious Monk
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist, one of the founding figures of Bebop and the only jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time Magazine.
Known for his variety of exotic hats, eccentric timing and adventurous harmony, Monk cut a unique figure in jazz. Some have questioned whether his unusual music merely reflected his well-attested mental health issues, as in the case fellow pioneering Bebop pianist Bud Powell.
Some have questioned whether he should be considered a Bebop musician at all - his painstaking melodicism does seem at odds with the virtuosity of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and it may be that ultimately the only thing he shared with them was the desire to reclaim jazz from the commercialism of Swing.
A prolific composer, he contributed many tunes to the jazz library including Well You Needn't, Epistrophy, Misterioso, Blue Monk, Round Midnight and especially Evidence (his one radio hit).