What I love about about Monk is that he was considered to be a weirdo and outsider for much of his career. His style of playing was thought to be really "out-there." Plus he always wore weird hats everywhere and rarely spoke. No one knew what to make of him. But in the 50's when modern art and space travel became big, Monk was suddenly wildly popular. I relate to him, because I have felt like a weirdo outsider for most of my life. I love his playing because it's so wabi-sabi and imperfect, making it warm and approachable. I connect these same qualities to my own creativity, which makes me feel a kinship with this great man...and yes, a bit of a crush!
The more I learn about jazz, the more I am honing in on my favorites. Thelonius Sphere Monk, or "T.Monk" as I like to call him, is my first jazz crush. (even tho he's been physically gone for years) I own none of his albums, because they are so hard to come by that it's tough to find them for under $30.00, if at all. If they ever make it to the record stores around here, they never see the light of day. Just about every week I ask Ryan Lee to play T.Monk for me on The Jazz Underground show. This week he closed the show with the tune below. He makes me go places in my head. Tonight I saw myself sitting next to an old wood stove in the kitchen while it rained outside. Monk plays his piano to the clouds and the windows fog with the breath of our contentment. What I love about about Monk is that he was considered to be a weirdo and outsider for much of his career. His style of playing was thought to be really "out-there." Plus he always wore weird hats everywhere and rarely spoke. No one knew what to make of him. But in the 50's when modern art and space travel became big, Monk was suddenly wildly popular. I relate to him, because I have felt like a weirdo outsider for most of my life. I love his playing because it's so wabi-sabi and imperfect, making it warm and approachable. I connect these same qualities to my own creativity, which makes me feel a kinship with this great man...and yes, a bit of a crush!
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AuthorHi! I'm Marguerite Bryant, but most folks just call me "M." This blog will be a place to share my musings and inspirational ideas. Categories
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January 2016
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