of there ry 4h ood hc of there mien rug ‘omation tas 5 liveltonde automate? sr replace ty save to set yp ft the mus Lin Congres, atime; Te icity forthe iting letersi» sr thisil—ip that money As soon asthe at you havets foe litetade ving the juke he ole of be this regan? sion! Why dd + publication? sace age. They the horse and 1 don’t thnk 2b. All thee + Dike Eline fal standpoit sidies for his ‘tude as prs asides forthe ve the arts Tm vce jazz is or first thing we bout that? put with ome serve nah idea, A ih rice ve beet vutan reat andes begs Send them eae coats 1 eran deur So ‘rere probably going to get together. eae ay essen ene wre tice! eet ce rcs ioe a ee eee mare ae ee rices sisnead ei ee choc en a eee Se ee amees ee ee ee reas ct ee eae ereerus aunts See ee ean earn a dda alibes Fee neeEeerens eesemerar eae eee Sees asm eet ee nae Se Beste cee ee eae es ee oa Scones ‘Brando, Phyllis Diller, Harry Belafonte, all papeeopee eerie eee ‘they would go all out to put a little ‘these things. errs my tn pr tm ‘WES Stel is run; we'd have an execu pe eae Feo a on opinion of Cassias Clay, or Muham- posses ee SRE Stow him that well to pass a person- crates seen aera ‘opponents inthe presiden- any mud-stinging...? Beth's ditterent. A campaign is ‘The 1960s _ 103 afterward you kiss and make up. , Goldwater, too? A. [don't think we would be on too ‘good terms, not on kissing terms anyway. June 3, 1965 ‘Monk on Monk by Valerie Wilmer Now it's Monk's time, Times have been bad for the eccentric genius and the work all but nonexistent. But he's famous now. He appears in the slicks, he wears $150 suits and stays at the best hotels. But as his wife, Nellie, says, “He's no more impressed with himself than ‘he was in the dark days.” ‘Music is his life, and he appears to be ‘concerned with Ite else outside oft, him- self and his family If he ever thinks ofthe ‘way of the world he rarely shows Speak ing of Monk the composer, Quincy Jones summed it up: “Thelonious is one of the rain influences in modern jazz composi- tion, but he isnot familiar with many elas- seal works, or with much if outside him self, and I think because ofthis he did not ‘create on a contrived or inhibited basis” ‘An interview with Monk takes patience, but while he was on a European tour recenty, he had more time than usual ‘tw relax In London, there was opportunity to find out the way he feels about his music and other subjects, “I started to take up trumpet as aid ‘but didn’t play it,” he began tentatively. always wanted to play the piano, and jazz appealed to me.I just like every aspect fit. You can try so many things with jazz. Twas about 11 or something like that when I started, and I used to play with all the dif- ferent side bands when I was a teenager.” Did he ever think he might become = ‘world-famous jazz pianist? “Well, that's what Twas aiming at” Although he received classical train ing, Monk plays “incorrect,” with his hhands held parallel to the Keyboard. He doesn't stab at the keys the way some imagine. I's a Mowing thing ‘Was he ever taught to hold his hands in the formal manner? “That's how you're supposed to?” he asked, wide-eyed. "Thold them any way T feel like holding them. hit the piano with ry elbow sometimes because of a certain sound I want to hear, certain chords. You can't hit that many notes with your hands Sometimes people laugh when I'm doing that. Yeah, lt ‘em laugh! They need some- thing to laugh at.” ‘Monk lived with his parents off and ‘on until his marriage, an unusual pattern for a jaze musician, although he claims, "L don’t know what other people are doing. 1 just know about me. [cut out from home when I was a teenager and went on the road for about two years.” His mother, who was particularly proud of her well-behaved son, sang inthe choir at the local Baptist church in New York City, where the family lived; whenev- er she had a leading part, Thelonious ‘would accompany her on piano, And she ‘would visit the dives where he worked. “My mother never figured I should do anything else,” Monk said. “She was with ‘me. IfT wanted to play music, it was all right with her, and Nellis the same way. “Yeah, I played in the Baptist church, ‘and Til tell you something else—I worked with the evangelist for some time, too. The ‘music [played with them seems to be com- ing out today. They're playing a lot of it row. I did two years all over the States; playing. in the churches was a lot of fun When T got through, Td had enough of church, though. I was in there practically every night, But I always did play jazz. In the churches Iwas playing musi the same way. I wouldn't say I'm religious, but I hhaven’t been around the churches in a good while so I don't know what they're putting down in there now.” (OF Minton’s, the Harlem club long doeld the incubator of bop, Monk, like ot ers of his fellow iconoclast of the time who played there, declared that the music “just happened. Iwas working there, so the oth- ers just used to come doven and play with re, I guess they dug what I was doing, It ‘was always crowded there, people enjoying themselves all the time, What I was doing was just the way T was thinking. I wasn’t thinking about trying to change the course of jazz Iwas just trying to play something that sounded good. I never used to talk bout it with other people, but believe the other musicians did. I just happened.” For a long time the pianist found it dificult to obtain work, Dut he says with typical Monkish nonchalance, “I didn't notice it tg@ much. I had eertain things to do, I wast't starving,”DOWNBEAT Nellie, whom he married in 19 asa great help and comfort through the lean years. She worked ata variety of cler Jcal jobs and when she was pregnant with their first child, Thelonious Jr, used to take in sewing, “Music to him is work, “When he wasn't working regularly, he'd ‘be working at home, she suid iting and eehearsi bbands that didn’t have the prospects of a dog. He jus did it to knov what itd sound like the ‘un years, a8 Teall them, as far as he was concerned, he felt just as confi dent ashe does now chat what he was doing musically could appeal to other people if only they took the opportunity to listen ‘We live music every day. ‘Theo nious has never atternpted to do anything lse except play music. He's always beg optimistic” Her husband confirmed this: “Yigg can Ibe anything other than what Iam A couple of yeas ago soprano sayy phonst Steve Lacy declared bis intent to limit his repertoire to Monk tunes hie there were almost 60 then “Yeah, heard he was doing thagh | Monk said "But haven't beard him yet fess if anybody wants odo that its OK» Fre sas he has no particular favoties ating his many eoinpostions and thatthe tmusual nagnesfor many of them “just cme fo mé” He composes at the piano Sometimes, though mote often than not he ths a melody runing around in his head Although he said, "Vou baveto stay home si telax to wet the musi," bi i com rented, “He thinks aboit' music all the time when he's hoe talkin He hay be able to, compose in-a-room full of people, just Standing ete. I cpt kaa anybody eke ‘who ean jst withdraw ike that has a tharvelous capacity for withdfawal” ‘This withdrawal inclades not speak: ing to his wife for days on end, “unless he wants me to fetch something,” and she will only break the silence if she has something Urgent to tl inoy “Bven tien Helga Bt reply or ‘how that hels heard? shejcaty “but in ernigencies his eactind are very fast. He's more contained than mest people and, therefore, mofe helpful than someone who falls apart and goes to pieces” When heis writing Monk said he does not tink of the actual notes othe eect his finished work wil have on his audience. "Vm just thinking about the music’ he added. *Vou thinkeabout everything ese automatically. think about what anyone else does” ‘And what does he think of the public? “I think very highly of the public. I think they're capable of knowing if some thing sounds all right. I figure that if it sounds allright to me, it soundsal ight tothem?” ‘The pianist hs lived inthe sun place for 30 years. 1's smal, undistinguished apartment on New Yorks West 63rd Sree and he is weryatastietb fe There's nothing special belt i,” he said, “but T guess Falways keep it” He once remarked that ithe couldn't live in Now York, he'd rather be-on the ‘oon, Dut he denies this fonguein-cheek statement “Did I say that? Can't remember it 1yw what's happening on the ey know what's happening in ike New York City. I haven't ere that tops it yet, Fe to listen to New York; L live E eessn’t bor there, but I've been Mount, N.C] You can't shut the i too easily; you always hear some poise going on. T guess all sort of have an effect on what you're writ- eve I ws ralsed in New York, anit’ thafthg ‘Tippee me. That's what I dig about it vem Sit to know wal sound T put into Ae ese— wel you have to g0 19 New. eT nd listen for yourself, T can't his ead describe them. How. da you expect me to tay hore he to you Tight here how New York wile com 2 How does London sound? Can all te al me how it sounds—hu?* herbie “Onstage, Monk often will re from ople, jut pe plano scol and stand listening tently body eke Tipe ote soloists; saying. sighly'in. Hlehass fat bas been termed Mosk's dance. le {Tes exasperated over-comments on such ppc of is behave. What's that Vm supposed to be thing? he demanded, “get red siting “ive atthe piano! That way Fran die the rhythm better, Somebody’ got something fos about everyting you do! "mis aot of things hat are vite about me done eat papers. don read tigazines, OF course tm ineredted >mething reply or but in ery fast opleand, fone who tsted in what somebody ele is waiting oF ‘anything ike tha. Teon'tet that bug me.I fac, T don’t se these ‘columns! or whatev- «you call ‘em. People write al kinds of five "pve got a wife and two kids to take care of, and I have to make some money. and see that they eat and sleep, and me, too—you dig? What happens ‘round the ‘comer, what happens to his familys none of my business. T have to take-care of my family, But I'U help a Tot of people, and L have... But I don't go around... asking: “What's the matter with you?" No! Vim .not interested in what's happening nowhere. ‘the does effect is bing ese anyone spublice subi. Be ifsome- bat if it all right ne place to everybody? Why do you ask me that? Why should Tbe worried? You're not! Why do you ask me a stupid question like that? Something you don’t dig yourself? I don’t be around the corner looking into every- body's house, looking to see what’s hap- ening, I'm not @ policeman or a social worker—that's for your social workers to do. T'm not in power. I'm not worrying about polities. You worry about the poli- ity he ie toaldn’e pn the fecheck berit.1 rat's ging on in music, but na not inter ‘Are you worried about what's happening, the 1960s 105 eee ae ties, Let the statesmen do that—that’s their job, They get paid for it If you're worried ‘about, stop doing what you're doing!” "And Monk does not concern himself ‘ith the racial seene in any was: “T hardly know anything about i” he said, “T never was interested in those Mus- Jims, Ifyou want to know, you should ask ‘Art Blakey. T didn't have to change my ‘name—it’s always been weird enough! T haven't done one ofthese ‘freedom’ suites, ‘and I don't intend to. T mean, I don’t see. he point Pm not thinking that race thipg ynow; it's not on my mind. Everybody’ try- “ing to get to think it, though, butt does “n't bother me. IL only bugs the people suho're trying to get me to think it" ‘Monk is a self-wiled person, Rarely ‘does he do anything that does aot interest him, He seldom goes to parties, and when thes neither working nor walking arout ‘New York ity; he is at home with Nelie ‘and theit two children, ‘Thelonious, J, "whois 15, and 11-year-old Barbara, Now At 45, he seems hardly aware of the sub- stantial increase in his income in recent years and says money makes no difference to hs way of lf. "(ET feet like it, PU spend it” he said “shut T pend it on what anybody else spends it on—clothes and food. My wite and kids spend a lot of money, but I really ‘don’t know how much I make. I'd go stu- pid collecting and counting my money. T worked at $17 a week when I was a.kid— ‘make thousands now. At 14,18 years old, 1 “eould do. anything I-wanted -with that ‘money. It wasn't bad for that age. “{ really don't want to do anything, else other than what I’m doing. Tike play- fing music. Everything's all xight. 1 don’t look like I'm worrying about anything, do TP Tidon’t talk much because you can't tell everybody what you're thinking. Some- times you don’t know what you're think ‘ng yoursll.” 'A perceptive wife, Nelle added, *You ‘wouldn't know whether be was happy of hot at any time. He's always been very ‘agreeable. Even inthe direst situations you can't see if he's worried from looking at his face, Maybe you can tell from a chance remark, but he isn’t a worrier. We have a theory that worry creates a mental block land prevents you from being creative. So worry is a waste of time.” ‘When he is not working, the pianist Tikes to walk. And when he walks, he S28, the walks in a daze. And he and his wife are television addicts “Ue time to write. His most re T haven't been to the movies in a tong time,” he said, “I look at TV, see everything there just laying in the bed. ‘You have to get up and go to the movies, where you fall aslep in your chair. That ‘way you're in bed already. But Inever get enough sleep. T haven't slept eight hours through in along time.” “Monk is noncommittal about his favorite composers and musicians. “Tlisten to ‘em all” he says But it is hard to believe What-he ‘goes out of his way to listen tothe muse Other people. One evidence-f this could be that his own. work is stlf-contained, so very personal, Today, however lie finds lit composi= tion, SOska was wit yea ago, and he continual records the “ame tunes, Why? e “So. somebody. will replied or the last 10 years by s0, Monk's music has heeome easier to finten to, though itisnot necesaily any simpld What he is doing is as engaging ant profound as ever thigh seeming tobe less provocative than ‘when he was upsetting he rules: Riserva oe: a ple maybe that's because Suis can dig it reser” Monk sai and Bighed.*t takes that long or somebody t Hear te Guess. 1 roean, for them to understand ior for you to ae to then for them (fies because ‘you might be changing ad shen Stop play- ing, and they'd not get ahs (a eap ‘But never be noticia these ings jus be trying to play” Ella Today (and Yesterday Too) by Leonard Feather "y don’t know what we're going to talk about,” Ela Fitzgerald sad lite testy as she closed the front door and walked me into her living room. “All I see is people putting each other down, and T sure don’t ‘want to get into anything like tha.” ‘Even when the interviewer is an olé {iend sro met her when she was a gawk