Drexel To Host Special Screening Of THELONIOUS MONK: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER

As part of Columbus' celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, the Drexel Theatre will present a special screening of Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser on Thursday, September 27. Released in 1988, the 90-minute documentary chronicles the life of legendary jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk (1917-82) and features live performances by Monk and his group as well as posthumous interviews with friends and family.

Immediately following the screening, Friends of the Drexel will host a panel discussion and moderated audience Q&A about Thelonious Monk and how the Harlem Renaissance shaped his evolution as an artist. Panelists will include Bob Breithaupt, professor of music at Capital University; composer and musician Linda Dachtyl; and Dr. Jack Marchbanks, co-host of WCBE's "Jazz Sunday," producer, and independent writer.

Friends of the Drexel presents Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser at the Drexel Theatre (2254 E. Main St.) on Thursday, September 27, at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 ($8 for Drexel members, $5 for students) and can be purchased at www.drexel.net. Ticket includes admission to the screening and post-screening panel discussion.

This event is made possible through the generous support of the Dreiseszun Family Foundation.

Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including "'Round Midnight," "Blue Monk," "Straight, No Chaser," "Ruby, My Dear," "In Walked Bud," and "Well, You Needn't." He is the second-most-recorded jazz composer after Duke Ellington, and one of only five jazz musicians to have been featured on the cover of Time magazine. He was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, and a special Pulitzer Prize for "a body of distinguished and innovative musical composition that has had a significant and enduring impact on the evolution of jazz" in 2006.

Created after a large archive of footage was discovered in the 1980s, the film was executive produced by Clint Eastwood through his own Production Company. In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Bob Breithaupt is professor of music and department chair of performance studies at Capital University, and one of today's foremost leaders in percussion education. He has developed one of the most recognized undergraduate percussion programs in the US, producing students who are successful in performing, teaching, and the music industry.

Linda Dachtyl is a keyboard performer, composer, and formally adjunct music instructor at Kenyon College and Ohio Wesleyan University. Her playing experience includes the jazz, blues, rock, and classical music genres.

Dr. Jack Marchbanks is the longtime co-host of the weekly music program "Jazz Sunday" on WCBE-FM. He has served on the board of trustees of the Lincoln Theatre Association since 2013 and helps produce and present the Lincoln's "Community Conversation" series. He holds a doctoral degree in American contemporary history from Ohio University. African-American history, social justice, and the music of the African Diaspora have been his lifelong areas of study and advocacy.

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