Miles Okazaki Premiered The Monkathon in Brooklyn
The guitarist documented his five-hour solo performance of Thelonious Monk’s entire songbook.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Jazz
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Guitarist Miles Okazaki has premiered his new documentary film, The Monkathon, at Roulette in Brooklyn. The four-part film captures his 2024 performance of all 66 Thelonious Monk compositions played entirely from memory.
Why it matters
The project serves as a cinematic record of a massive musical undertaking, documenting how the performer explored his evolving relationship with Monk’s complex body of work. A producer initially suggested the marathon performance to capture the feat for posterity.
Okazaki’s previous work includes a six-album collection of Monk’s music released in 2018. The new concert film documents a five-hour solo guitar performance that required one year of intensive preparation.
The players
Miles Okazaki
He is a guitarist and composer known for his extensive study and documentation of Thelonious Monk’s musical compositions.
Frank Heath
He is a filmmaker who captured the 2024 live performances for the documentary The Monkathon.
The details
Filmed by Frank Heath at The Jazz Gallery, the concert features Okazaki playing the entire Monk songbook in a single sitting. The project follows Okazaki’s earlier work in 2017 when he began recording these 66 compositions for his six-album collection.
Timeline
Okazaki began recording Monk's 66 compositions in 2017.
The Work album collection was released in 2018.
Okazaki performed the Monk songbook in 2024.
The Monkathon film premiered at Roulette on September 22, 2026.
The film becomes available for free online on October 10, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This project represents a shift toward long-form, artist-led archival documentation in the jazz world. By bypassing traditional release cycles for a self-managed, free digital distribution model, Okazaki follows a trend of musicians taking ownership of their legacy records.
Audiences can view the four-part concert film for free online starting in October. This digital availability provides immediate access to the full five-hour performance without requiring a theatrical ticket.
The takeaway
Okazaki’s year of preparation highlights the extreme discipline required to master an entire iconic songbook from memory. Interested musicians can use his methodology as a blueprint for long-form artistic development and self-documentation.
What happens next
The documentary film The Monkathon will be released for free streaming online at the official project website beginning October 10, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more performances and artist profiles in the Jazz section.
More information
View the free documentary streaming access to watch the four-part film.
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Do you find that intensive long-term preparation improves your own creative projects or hobbies?
