We are always happy to celebrate the music of jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, who was born in North Carolina on October 10th, 1917. Monk was known as the “genius of modern music,” and his compositions are some of the most well known and most recorded jazz pieces in the world. Along with saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, Monk is considered among the most important composers, instrumentalists and innovators of modern jazz. For this special birthday tribute, bassist and band leader Marcus Shelby shares his love of Monk’s music and his legacy.