Thelonious Monk: Blue Monk
There’s never been a sound or a persona quite like Thelonious Sphere Monk’s. This short biography at the Monk Zone strips away a lot of the mystique. Monk, according to this version, was a family man and a savvy veteran of the New York City jazz scene. The stories of his excessive eccentricities were inventions of the press. Perhaps, perhaps not. PBS offers more information and links.
Monk was interesting to look at as well as to listen too. Perhaps that’s the reason there are great videos available of him. Here are three: Straight, No Chaser, ‘Round Midnight and Epistrophy. I find Nutty, which I believe is a bit lesser known, easier to understand.
Links to the The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and a discography provide more insight.
by 
[...] is the Einstein of modern music. There were other Bohrs, Feynmans and Hawkings (Ellington, Monk and Parker is the start of a pretty good list). But only one guy is at the top of the heap. That is [...]
[...] Scrapple from the Apple and Thelonious Monk’s Blue Monk. Here is more on Parker, Monk and Lester Young. [...]
[...] Henry/Goin’ Down to the River Modest Mouse: Dashboard Moe.: Kyle’s Song Thelonious Monk: Blue Monk Bill Monroe: Rawhide/Sally Goodin Mountain: Theme for an Imaginary Western Mozart: Flute [...]