Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 1, 2025

Charlotte Zwerin's "Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with T.S. Monk; new program about the life and legacy of Charlotte Zwerin; remastered vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

At times, it appears that the musicians cannot fully control the complex harmonies and rhythm patterns that are supposed to give structure to their music. One of the sax players easily creates the impression that he wishes to go a lot faster. The other sax player sounds a lot more restrained, but he experiments with completely different rhythm patterns. The drummer has the most consistent parts, but he also veers off in different directions, testing new rhythm patterns that his colleagues would appreciate. The piano player’s hands are moving up and down the keyboard so quickly that it is hard to believe he understands and controls everything they do. And yet, everyone is on the same page, one hundred percent of the time, creating mad, euphoric music that instantly makes an impression.

The piano player is jazz legend Thelonious Monk, and everyone who is interviewed in Charlotte Zwerin’s film acknowledges that he was one of the key developers of bebop jazz. However, several interviewees also clarify that what Monk did, initially while doing free improvisations and then when fine-tuning the new style of jazz, was so unique that it frequently defied categorization. This was largely the material that earned Monk his reputation. It was bold and abstract, wildly unpredictable, but still relatable to the classic bebop that flourished during the 1940s. Monk gambled with it, unsure it would be appreciated, even by other fellow jazz musicians who also constantly experimented while trying to separate themselves from their competitors.

Manager Harry Colomby, saxophonist Charlie Rouse (a member of Monk’s quartet), and Thelonious Monk, Jr. share the most interesting bits about Monk’s success and the health problems that abruptly ended his career and life. For example, Monk claimed that the first take on a piece was almost always the best. The first take, he argued, “had the feeling” and “after that, you start going downhill”, which is why second takes were extremely rare. Monk Jr. reveals that abrupt depression and euphoria frequently destabilized his father to such a degree that he had to be hospitalized. The music Monk created absorbed some of the effects of these disturbances, but by the 1960s, it was already too obvious that there was an ongoing, serious internal deterioration.

Monk’s relationship with his music was overshadowed only by his relationship with his wife, Nellie. Monk Jr. states: “I don’t know if he would have made the strides he made musically had there not been a Nellie for him to cover the other bases, and… have it all wrapped in love at the very same time”. Because of Nellie, who apparently brought permanent order and balance into his life, Monk was able to be as creative as he was for as long as he did.

While various people share recollections of their experiences with Monk, Zwerin’s film does not evolve into a cinematic lecture that attempts to deconstruct his life and explain the music he created and performed. It is a dated but fascinating portal to his creative process, gathering various footage from pre-rehearsal discussions, rehearsals, recording sessions, and live shows.

Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this release:

"This new 4K restoration was created from a 35mm blowup interpositive. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the original six-track 35mm DME magnetic track.

Mastering supervisors: Joel Cox/Malpaso Films; Lee Kline; Giles Sherwood.
Colorist: Yan Yarbrough/Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, Burbank, CA.
Image restoration: Resillion, New York.
Audio restoration: The Criterion Collection."

Because there is footage that comes from various sources, you should expect to see small and bigger fluctuations affecting delineation, clarity, and depth. However, all visuals still look very good and have excellent organic qualities. I think that the best looking footage is the black-and-white footage, but there are several bits in color that are wonderful, too. I did not see any traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

All footage with people sharing memories of experiences they had with Thelonious Monk sounds very good. However, there is footage with Monk performing that sounds even better. Some of this footage even comes from live performances. However, because of the nature of the music, dynamic intensity is pretty modest. I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review.

Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Charlotte Zwerin - in June 2003, the Museum of Modern Art presented the first retrospective of Charlotte Zwerin. The following introduction was screened when the retrospective traveled to Harvard Film Archive later that year. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Charlotte Zwerin: Director, Editor, Innovator - this new program takes a closer look at the life and legacy of Charlotte Zwerin. Included in it are clips from interviews with journalist Michael Schulman, editor Bernadine Colish, Lisa and Laura Tesone (Zwerin's nieces). Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser is addressed as well. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• T.S. Monk - in this new program, T.S. Monk, son of Thelonious Monk, remembers his father and comments on the production of Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered vintage trailer for Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Paul Grimstad's essay "Thelonious in Action" and technical credits.

Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Charlotte Zwerin's film does not provide a complete profile of Thelonious Monk, one of the great jazzmen of our time. However, it is done in the only possible way a proper film about Monk can be created. While using excellent archival footage from rehearsals and concerts, Zwerin brings the audience into Monk's orbit and spends plenty of time observing him composing and performing his unique brand of jazz. Criterion's release introduces a wonderful, exclusive new 4K restoration of Thelonious Monk, Straight, No Chaser. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.