Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original
by Robin D. G. Kelley (Simon & Schuster/Free Press)
Thelonious Monk, one of the twentieth century's most original musical artists, finally gets his biographical due.
Robin Kelley, in giving us such a finely-honed portrait, has also set a new standard in jazz biographies, cutting through the cheap mythology to give us a fully-fleshed bio that is far more interesting than the caricatured legend that stood in its place for years.
Monk did suffer from mental illness, and was subject to quirks and idiosyncrasies because of that. It did inform his music as well, but what Kelley has done is show us Monk the man and how his life and his music were intertwined. It is revealed that Monk was not merely some savant who effortlessly produced such amazing music, but a true artist and craftsman who worked to produce such an amazing body of work. As such, it also functions as a musical primer and guide to Monk's music.
And, in spite of the academic rigor, Kelley has produced not just such a steady and readable work, but one that is wonderfully evocative, far more so than such a footnote-laden book might tend to be. You can feel the atmosphere of the clubs, the homes and meeting places, even the social claustrophobia of America in the Jim Crow era.
Highly recommended.
Suggested background music for reading: Monk's 1957 masterpiece Brilliant Corners.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Today's guest review is by Brent Sanders, a friend for many years. In addition to being the best bass player in his town (and the shortest), he is a man of many passions. He loves sports, politics and sarcasm. It's no wonder we get along so well. Now if I could just shake him from his bad habit of choosing his favorite sports teams because of their proximity.
No comments:
Post a Comment