Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Thelonious Monk



Years ago, years and years and years ago, my children would occasionally spend a morning on campus with me on days off from school. On one such occasion, my son Ben labeled a poster of Thelonious Monk in my office. And now I remember having labeled my dad’s LPs with little slips of paper bearing the names of musicians: Miles Davis, Erroll Garner, Stuff Smith.

I especially like the homemade o s on this faded Post-it Note. I would guess that Ben was five or six when he wrote them — and the rest of the letters.

Other Monk posts
T. MONK’S ADVICE (1960) : Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane : Thelonious Monk in Weehawken : Thelonious Monk, off-balance : Thelonious Monk plays Duke Ellington

[How did Ben know the proper spelling? The poster says, in large letters, “Thelonious Monk.”]

comments: 7

The Crow said...

I have CDs of Monk's, Davis' and Coltrane's music(*). I don't know the others, but will soon. They must be pretty good, too, to be listed in company with the other masters.

(*) Dizzy, too.

Michael Leddy said...

Erroll Garner wrote “Misty.” Try Concert by the Sea. Stuff Smith was a great violinist. Anything by either musician is worth hearing. :)

Anonymous said...

At the time, I thought Thelonious Monk was some sort of religious figure!

Grown-up Ben

Michael Leddy said...

Well, I guess he was, or is. Was it the name Monk that made you think that? Or the skullcap? Or both?

Anonymous said...

Who knows. I also used to sincerely think that "tutoring" meant being a snake-charmer, so there may be no rhyme or reason to it.

Rachel said...

Sometimes our students write JUST LIKE Ben used to. It is a childhood thing!

Michael Leddy said...

R and B, you are still welcome to come play in my office anytime. Toot, toot!