Ugly Beauty

It’s Thelonious Monk’s birthday today. Reading some eloquent Facebook tributes about this American genius, I looked back into my own book Now’s the Time: Teaching Jazz to All Ages and re-read the quotes from some of my 8^th graders after I played some Monk tunes for them. I was astounded yet again how deeply insightful and eloquent they were describing Monk’s music. They really GOT him! Here are a few overall comments:

 

• “Childish, yet complex.”

• “Relaxing, off-key notes.”

• “Beautiful, spaced out.”

• “Sounds like a lot of mistakes. Pretty.” (That last one was after listening to his tune Ugly Beauty!)

 

You see how both Monk and these 8^th grade listeners thoroughly understood that apparent opposites can be brought into a beautiful harmony. A good metaphor for our increasingly oppositional thinking in all areas of life—“This one is right! That one is wrong.” Monk and all good artists call “Bullshit! If you can grow large enough to accept all parts of yourself, you find the path to include apparent opposites and teach them to dance together.”

 

My brilliant 8^th graders went on in the same vein to tap the gold hidden inside Monk’s playing. In honor of his birthday, to reconsider your view of 8^th graders and for your own pleasure, listen to the same tunes that the kids did and see if you agree with them. The first tune is Monk’s solo on the tune Bag’s Groove from Miles Davis’s album of the same title:

 

• "He's thinking and you can tell, choosing the notes systematically. It sounds like he's playing the wrong chords, but it works. He's thinking, remembering, thinking again. It's odd, but I like it!" -Claire Turner

 

• “Sounds kind of off-key, but he planned his solo out before he did it. He knew what sounded good together, even if we don't think so." —Emily Herman

 

• "Cheerful bright piano sound in contrast with the clunky bass. As it climbs higher, it gets more daring. The sound is still vibrant, but his chords sometimes sound like someone stepping on glass. His changes are often unexpected. He seems to find an improvisational theme almost by mistake and then running with the feeling. Very intelligent—gives you a chance to breathe." – Will Gaines

 

• "Starts simple, repeats same thing but embellishes it the next time.Uses silence with bass and drums to his advantage. Unlike Art Tatum, he doesn't have to fill up every moment with sound. He uses the silence to make you want to hear more! Whereas Art Tatum played really fast and amazing things constantly, Monk makes his ideas stand out, letting you really hear them and appreciate them. He chooses his notes carefully, making each one stand out to tell its story."   - Micaela Linder

 

Are you as impressed as I am?  These kids are so smart! Two more comments on his solo piano rendition of I Should Care on his album Solo Monk.

 

• "Chunks of notes. Sharp notes that he lets float. Lots of flourishes. Unexpected. He didn't follow the rules."  - Jackson Anderson

 

•  "The suspense is hard to take. You want to hear it, but he's thinking and he knows you want it so he doesn't give it to you right away. He draws you in deeper, then surprises you with odd chords and fast scales. Its romantic with a twist, his thoughts coming at you through the notes."  - Claire Turner

 

How many American school children are listening to Monk on his birthday? How many adults? It’s not too late!