It's Monk's birthday today!

[tatifan]

As I was waking up this morning, Garrison Keillor was giving a small Monk birthday tribute on his "Writer's Almanac" feature on NPR. He read this interesting Stephen Dobyns poem as well:

Thelonious Monk

A record store on Wabash was where

I bought my first album. I was a freshman

in college and played the record in my room

over and over. I was caught by how he took

the musical phrase and seemed to find a new

way out, the next note was never the note

you thought would turn up and yet seemed

correct. Surprise in 'Round Midnight

or Sweet and Lovely. I bought the album

for Mulligan but stayed for Monk. I was

eighteen and between my present and future

was a wall so big that not even sunlight

crossed over. I felt surrounded by all

I couldn't do, as if my hopes to write,

to love, to have children, even to exist

with slight contentment were like ghosts

with the faces found on Japanese masks:

sheer mockery! I would sit on the carpet

and listen to Monk twist the scale into kinks

and curlicues. The gooseneck lamp on my desk

had a blue bulb which I thought artistic and

tinted the stacks of unread books: if Thomas

Mann depressed me, Freud depressed me more.

It seemed that Monk played with sticks attached

to his fingertips as he careened through the tune,

counting unlike any metronome. He was exotic,

his playing was hypnotic. I wish I could say

that hearing him, I grabbed my pack and soldiered

forward. Not quite. It was the surprise I liked,

the discordance and fretful change of beat,

as in Straight No Chaser, where he hammers together

a papier-mâché skyscraper, then pops seagulls

with golf balls. Racket, racket, but all of it.

music. What Monk banged out was the conviction

of innumerable directions. Years later

I felt he's been blueprint, map and education:

no streets, we bushwhacked through the underbrush;

not timid, why open your mouth if not to shout?

not scared, the only road lay straight in front;

not polite, the notes themselves were sneak attacks;

not quiet—look, can't you see the sky will soon

collapse and we must keep dancing till it cracks?

for Michael Thomas

I think I'll spin the Jazz Icons DVD myself today in celebration (well, and because I just picked it up Sunday!).

[7/4]

Time to celebrate!

[7/4]

  7/4 said:

Time to celebrate!

And that's exactly what is happening at http://www.wkcr.org at least until midnight today, edst.

[clifford_thornton]

Spun Brilliant Corners last night (Riverside stereo black label), will be hitting on more Monk and Lacy today...

[Kalo]

Didn't remember that it was Monk's day until I saw this thread.

Funny thing is, just before logging in to the forums, I put on Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane(Jazzland/K2). (Been working my way through my recently arrived trove of Concord blow-outs.)

Monk was one of the main reasons that I got into jazz in the first place, and is still probably my favorite jazz artist ever (though Ellington is close or even with him).

[Kalo]

  7/4 said:

  7/4 said:

Time to celebrate!

And that's exactly what is happening at http://www.wkcr.org at least until midnight today, edst.

Checking out WKCR right now.

Thanks, 7/4!

[Soulstation1]

did monk ever record on a hammond or electric piano of somesorts?

[Guy Berger]

  Soulstation1 said:

did monk ever record on a hammond or electric piano of somesorts?

I don't think he did, but he did record on celesta.

Guy

[michel1969]

Love the "Ruby My Dear" on "Monk's Music" (Coleman hawkins) and the "Round Midnight" at The Blachawk (both Riverside) And Straight No Chaser on Columbia.

[robviti]

[GA Russell]

I put on Carnegie Hall for the occasion.

[Patrick]

I put on my Thelonious enamel pin.

[7/4]

I danced around in small circles.

[gslade]

  GA Russell said:

I put on Carnegie Hall for the occasion.

also playing currently

I would dance around in small circles

but I hurt my knee the other day

[7/4]

  7/4 said:

  7/4 said:

Time to celebrate!

And that's exactly what is happening at http://www.wkcr.org at least until midnight today, edst.

I tuned into WKCR for morning classical to hear what's on and their birthday broadcast is on!

Happy Birthday Mr. Monk.

[7/4]

He would have been 90 today.

[Kalo]

  7/4 said:

  7/4 said:

  7/4 said:

Time to celebrate!

And that's exactly what is happening at http://www.wkcr.org at least until midnight today, edst.

I tuned into WKCR for morning classical to hear what's on and their birthday broadcast is on!

Happy Birthday Mr. Monk.

Hey, same here!

I'm so happy that this man gave us such great music. One of the things that makes being alive worthwhile. Truly cause for celebration.

[clifford_thornton]

I'll spin the Blue Notes later today, I think. Whilst waiting for the Riverside box to arrive, naturally!

Happy Birthday Mr. Monk!

[fkimbrough]

New Yorkers - There's a free concert this evening at the World Financial Center in lower Manhattan to celebrate Monk's birthday. I'll be playing there, and so will Randy Weston, Cedar Walton. Fred Hersch, Luis Perdomo, and many other classical and jazz pianists - obviously the program won't consist entirely of Monk's music, but there will be a lot I'm sure. We'll all be playing a wonderful Fazioli concert grand provided by Klavierhaus. See the thread in the Live Show and Festivals section for schedule and directions. It starts at 5 pm and goes until around 9:15..........

Edited October 10, 2007 by fkimbrough

[clifford_thornton]

Wish I could be there!