NPR

Newly Uncovered Recordings Find Thelonious Monk In His Prime

Released for the first time this year, Monk's spirited musical contributions to the 1959 French film Les Liaisons Dangereuses expand listeners' understanding of his creative genius.
The music Thelonious Monk contributed to the 1959 French film <em>Les Liaisons Dangereuses </em>had never been released until the master tapes were discovered last year.

In 1959, the peak of his playing years, did something he'd never done before: record music for a film. Released in the U.S. as , the French film featured nearly 30 minutes of Monk's music, none of which ever made itis a discovery that offers fresh perspective on the jazz visionary's heyday.

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