The Drive, Ability and Intellect of Thelonious Monk.

THELONIOUS SPHERE MONK ... the epitome of a jazz genius.

From as early as eleven years old Thelonious Monk began to show a gift for playing the piano. He learned about jazz from some of the accomplished jazz players of his day who happened to live in his neighborhood: Alto saxophonist Benny Carter, pianist , Freddie Johnson, reed player Russell Procope and trumpeter James "Bubber" Miley who was the trumpet player in the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and as such must have made quite an impression on young Thelonious.

Barbara Monk

  One must be careful though, not to overlook the support and encouragement that was given to Thelonious Monk by his mother, Barbara Monk, to follow the musical path of his choosing.This woman literally 'slaved', scrubbing floors, to provide for her children. They were Thelonious, Thomas and Marion.

The first thing Monk had to overcome in the New York neighborhood where he lived as a youth was the white street gangs made up mainly of Italians. He quickly gained a reputation as a fearsome pugilist after standing up for and defending one of his friends against one of these gangs. This attitude and disposition to help others weaker than himself would often be displayed by Monk throughout his life.

Monk took piano lessons from a man named Simon Wolf who used to teach some of the other neighborhood kids. He introduced Monk to works by Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Liszt and Mozart. Monk quickly displayed an uncanny mastery of the works of these composers along with a wide range of musical interests. Thelonious Monk knew then that he was gifted.

But one of the most significant and long-lasting influences on young Thelonious came in the form of a local jazz musician, a woman named Alberta Simmons. Alberta Simmons introduced him into the company, styles and rhythms of the present day stride piano greats such as Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson and Fats Waller: to these giants, piano playing and jam sessions was like a religion.  For Thelonious Monk they were the architects of his musical foundation.

When Thelonious Monk was sixteen years old he formed his own band, and was also playing piano in the church his mother attended. The band played gigs all over New York city; rent parties, clubs, house parties, even the Apollo Theatre. Incredibly around the age of seventeen, Monk left New York city with his small band for a two-year tour around the country playing jazz for a woman evangelist whose intended mission was to "save souls."

His return to New York from his "tour" heralded decades-long periods of hardship because of chronic unemployment, debilitating under-employment, police harassment and brutality brought on primarily by suffocating jim crow laws. Yet, Monk with the unyielding help of his family, found a way to survive and drive himself. He began to see himself as a composer, who in retrospect, was far ahead of his time. No doubt a lesser person would have succumbed to the bad press and negative reviews that described his early work; but many of his peer musicians knew instinctively that his music was revolutionary, had quality, and they respected his talent as a pianist. 

One of these musicians, who became his mentor,  Coleman Hawkins,  once gave Thelonious Monk a piece of seminal advice about his compositions. He in effect told Monk, not to worry about whether the public or the critics, for that matter, liked or approved of his music, to just go ahead and continue to compose and let them catch up to him later. Monk followed this advice to the letter. Associations like this gave Monk the drive and dogged determination to persevere and to succeed.

Those people who were fortunate enough to engage Thelonious Monk in serious discourse, discovered a man who was surprisingly well read in the arts, philosophy, world affairs and well schooled in music theory. He was engaging, witty and as Dr. Kelley states eloquently in his book: "possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of hymns, gospel music, American popular songs and a variety of obscure art songs that defy easy categorization," thanks to the teachings and exposure to this culture by his mother when he was growing up.

Before I read the book: "Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original" by Robin D. G. Kelley:  I knew very little about Monk beyond the fact that he had written several stunning jazz music classics that I found irresistible; namely, "'Round Midnight," "Straight No Chaser," "In Walked Bud," "Blue Monk" and "Well You Needn't." I am sure that I am not alone in this regard. I had only music, photos and a few videos with which to form my own opinion of who Monk might be.

To be honest, I thought Monk was one hell of a jazz music composer on the strength of the quality of his compositions. After reading Kelley's book, I was totally floored by all the jazz myths that were dispelled. So, I read it again to make sure that my eyes got it all right the first time. But later for those jazz myths.

Photographs of Monk portrayed an individual who was decidedly idiosyncratic in his style of dress as compared to other musicians of the day. And Monk, looking out from these photographs conveyed a defiance that seemed to say: I do not care who you are and I do not care what you think.

To the average jazz music enthusiast he was seen as: weird, different. To the others, who did not know him, he was summed up as: talented but crazy!

In the early summer of 1954, Thelonious Monk traveled to Europe for the first time and played the Paris Jazz Festival. Here his music was taken seriously. The Europeans knew instinctively that Monk's music came from rigorous scholarship and embraced him.

American critics took notice and so did Americans in the music business.

Arguably, the turning point for Monk's acceptance as a serious, gifted jazz artist by American jazz critics, contemporary musicians and  jazz music enthusiasts came in 1956 when he recorded, on solo piano, an album called Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington for the Prestige Record Label, produced by Orin Keepnews. In the past Monk had always played his own compositions, but when the record was released and people heard how he interpreted and voiced Duke Ellington's compositions, it was as if every ear in jazz had finally caught up to his genius and realized its scope.

Monk's mentor, tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins had been proven right.

The quintessential jazz music composer Thelonious Sphere Monk, whose composing brilliance had been so long overlooked, suddenly emerged and was recognized as one of the most important jazz composers in the history of the genre. A musical genius of indomitable drive, and intellect. Uncompromising, original, a consummate teacher and instructor to other jazz icons, a dedicated, principled, moral family man.

I came away with a profound respect and genuine "liking' for Thelonious Monk the person, outside of the obvious attraction to his influential and compelling jazz music compositions.

Kelley's book is powerful scholarship and indispensable for any person seriously concerned about the history of jazz. I ask the indulgence of those who have had the pleasure of reading his book at including some of its key information in these posts. For those who have not had the opportunity or the time to read it, I hope you find the following posts informative, interesting, educational and worthwhile.

Thelonious Monk died February 17, 1982 in Englewood, New Jersey USA.