The Story of the Baroness and the Jazz Musicians
The legend of Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, or Nica, friend to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and other jazz luminaries, has loomed large over the history of modern jazz. Publication several years ago of the book Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats, under the Baroness’s name, amplified that legend. In a more recent biography just published in the United States, The Baroness: the Search for Nica, the Rebellious Rothschild, Hannah Rothschild explores the life of her great-aunt; and in this CNN profile of the Baroness and the legend, Hannah Rothschild airs some of her findings about her fabled relative.
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Pepper Adams Revisits Thelonious Monk at Town Hall
This audio clip from the website pepperadams.com is an excerpt of an interview Ben Sidran conducted with baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, focusing on the famous 1959 Thelonious Monk Orchestra concert at Town Hall. The entire performance of Little Rootie Tootie starts the clip; Pepper Adams plays the opening solo. Then Adams offers his urbane comments about the Town Hall concert and the public reaction.
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Frankie Dunlop on Thelonious Monk
When the dust clears, Frankie Dunlop emerges as one of my all-time favorite drummers with Thelonious Monk. His swing and melodic instinct served as a fascinating and winning backdrop for Monk. In this interview with Todd Bishop, on the blog Cruise Ship Drummer!, Dunlop’s insights on Monk fly fast and furious.
-Nick Moy
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Read MoreThelonious Monk Quartet: Rollicking in Rhythm-a-Ning
This is an absolute killer version of “Rhythm-a-Ning” by the Thelonious Monk Quartet from Holland in 1961. Charlie Rouse was already his alter ego by this point and I think this video backs up my position that bassist John Ore and drummer Frankie Dunlop were one of the best rhythm teams that ever worked with Monk.
-Michael Cuscuna
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The Day Dollar Brand Met Thelonious Monk
Those of us who grew up listening to South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibhahim, aka Dollar Brand, assume that the man considered “Africa’s Monk” must have grown up under Thelonious Monk’s influence. According to the prolific Monk biographer Robin Kelley, here is where it started, and how it happened.
-Nick Moy
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Read MoreBilly Harper: His Birthday, Our Gifts.
Saxophonist Billy Harper just turned 70, still brimming with youthful power. I’ve never met a more vigorous advocate for Billy Harper than critic Richard Scheinin, who wrote this 2001 profile, replete with Harper’s account of turning down a job with Miles Davis. He also pointed to this video clip, opening smack in the middle of a searing Harper solo on Monk’s ‘Round Midnight, with Max Roach, bassist Reggie Workman and trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater fanning the flames. And he even compiled this Billy Harper discography. Thanks, @richardscheinin; think we’re ready to celebrate.
-Nick Moy
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Re-live at the Five Spot
This Jerry Jazz Musician feature compiles music, art and literature that takes us back to the Five Spot in 1957, where Thelonious Monk held court and the new artists and writers who would define the era gathered.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Thelonious Monk And Art Blakey: 24 Years Of Telepathy
Patrick Jarenwattananon wrote an excellent blog on the deep music relationship that Thelonious Monk and Art Blakey shared from Monk’s first Blue Note sessions in 1947 to his final studio recordings in London in 1971. An added bonus is a video of “’Round Midnight” by the Giants Of Jazz (Monk, Blakey, Sonny Stitt, Dizzy Gillespie, Kai Winding and Al McKibbon) from a 1971 European tour.
-Michael Cuscuna
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Thelonious Monk – Inspired Images
Thelonious Monk’s influence continues to be felt in music and others arts forty years after his death. The Thelonious Monk Society For The American Arts, head by son/musician T.S. Monk has mounted an impressive exhibition by 45 artists with work inspired by or in tribute to Thelonious Monk. “Reflections Of Monk: Inspired Images Of Music And Moods” opened on October 14 at the Wilmer Jennings Gallery, 219 E. 2nd Street in Manhattan.
-Michael Cuscuna
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