The Monkathon: Miles Okazaki plays Thelonious Monk (World Premiere Screening)
About This Event
At Roulette, The Monkathon presents a world‑premiere screening of The Monkathon: Miles Okazaki plays Thelonious Monk, a film documenting Okazaki’s performances and mapping Monk’s harmonic logic, rhythmic puzzles, and links between jazz lineages and African cultural thought. The Monkathon is an artist project that privileges close listening and structural interpretation over spectacle; the work functions as research and has registered a sizable listening audience, including strong Spotify reach.
About The Monkathon: Miles Okazaki plays Thelonious Monk (World Premiere Screening)
At Roulette, *The Monkathon: Miles Okazaki plays Thelonious Monk* receives its world-premiere screening, documenting Okazaki’s sustained engagement with Monk’s compositions. The film traces Monk’s sharp logic and off-center swing through a guitarist’s hands, treating the tunes as structures that can be tested, not merely repeated. It also situates Monk within wider currents, including jazz’s dialogue with African cultural lineages. The result suggests that fidelity to Monk often means embracing instability and risk.
About the Artists
The Monkathon
The Monkathon is an individual artist project centered on Thelonious Monk’s repertoire, presented in New York City at Roulette. Its public work includes *The Monkathon: Miles Okazaki plays Thelonious Monk*, a world-premiere screening that documents Okazaki’s performances and uses them to trace Monk’s harmonic logic, rhythmic puzzles, and links between jazz lineages and African cultural thought.
Thelonious Monk
Experience the mesmerizing world of jazz through the artistry of Thelonious Monk, a legendary figure who has left an indelible mark on the genre. Known for his innovative approach and unique improvisational style, Monk's performances captivate audiences with their blend of complexity and soul.