Blog #4: Jazz and Community

Thelonious Monk grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Manhattan called San Juan Hill. Families crammed together inside tiny one bedroom apartments that were neglected and downright hazardous. A women's organization pressured the state of New York to put together a committee to inspect the San Juan Hill living conditions; the committee reported that, "in general they were old, dark, dirty, and not fit for human habitation." (Kelley, Ebook Page 16.) In spite of, or perhaps as a result of, the squalor and violent crime that plagued the area, a vibrant community of musicians and music enthusiasts blossomed in Monk's neighborhood. "As Thelonious's future sister-in-law, Geraldine Smith, remembers about the neighborhood, 'It was like a little village. Everybody knew everybody." (Kelley, Ebook Page 20.) Monk was exposed to music at a very young age, and his natural connection with the other members of his community put him into contact with extremely talented local musicians who were happy to impart their wisdom on the young prodigy.

The San Juan Hill community stoked the genius of Thelonious Monk in concrete and abstract ways. He established a strong foundation in musical literacy and classical pieces by composers like Chopin and Bach through his first piano teacher, Simon Wolf, who was known for teaching other neighborhood kids. Wolf's strength lay in classical music, though, and Monk's evolution as a jazz player might have been stunted were it not for the fact that his list of neighbors conveniently included "...pianist Freddy Johnson... reed player Russell Procope... and the phenomenal trumpet player "Bubbler" Miley, a key figure in Ellington's Cotton Club." (Kelley, Ebook Page 26-27.) He learned stride piano technique from a little-known woman named Alberta Simmons. The knowledge and skills he acquired from these local figures was indubitably crucial to Monk's technical ability, but it would be a mistake not to emphasize the more ambiguous, abstract ways that the spirit and atmosphere of San Juan Hill influenced the unique sound he managed to capture. Monk grew up in a frenetic melting pot of different cultures hailing from the world over, where the buzz of activity often seemed to be on the verge of descending into a riot. It is no coincidence that his music is characterized by dissonance and pushes the limit of what notes can belong where--the delicate balance between order and chaos.

When people say that "jazz is New York", they are referring to the set of circumstances that propelled Thelonious Monk on his personal and musical journey. The area of San Juan Hill hosted a tightly interwoven black community that exhibited a ubiquitous enthusiasm for their own music. There was a powerful sense of ownership and solidarity that can be found in gatherings like rent parties, where music was not just a commodity but the glue that held people together in times of crisis. The relationship between Thelonious Monk and his community is similar to the one between jazz and the Leimert Park community. In both cases, music exists as a way to transcend the hardships of everyday existence and to feel like one is truly a part of something greater than himself. All artists are inspired by the conditions in which they were raised. Everybody musician, be it a jazz saxophonist or 90's hip hop artist, is using music as a medium for telling the story of life as they know it, and life as they know it is life in their community.