In the early 20th
century Thelonious Monks’ family migrated from the North Carolina
to San Juan Hill, New York. The vastly diverse community of San Juan Hill
maintained a violent reputation, plagued by hegemony-induced race riots and
federal drug raids. (Kelley 19,31) Cultural partitioning within the severely condensed
housing districts stimulated hostility amongst its diverse, well-defined
subpopulations, and inevitably caused Monk to develop a pugilist demeanor
amongst his peers. (Kelley 17, 33) However,
through vigilante enforcement of intolerant rules of conduct, the Columbus Hill
Community Center served as an epicenter of social life and community service
for all youth in San Juan Hill. (Kelley 28) The center was where Monk formed
his first band with Charles Stewart, a fellow black, and Morris Simpson, a West
Indian, and was home to the Friday night dances that the trio performed. (Kelley
35) Maintained through an adored all black staff, the community center served
as a second home where Monk could experience freedom from the anxieties of San
Juan Hill adversity.
The community center was similar to
the Monk household in that it promoted strong morals. Thelonious’s propensity
to deviate from the ill-mannered social norms of San Juan Hill was attributed
to virtues engrained in Monk and his siblings by their mother Barbara. Through
a “quiet, dignified strength” Barbara inspired her children to live a
free-spirited, vocal, and opinionated life, all the while remaining respectful.
She also encouraged her children to embrace the rich cultural life of the city
by taking them to Central Park in the summer to hear Edwin Goldman’s orchestra
perform classic European and American compositions. (Kelley 22) Furthermore,
Barbara helped foster a whole-hearted community within the Monk apartment,
through music, by always welcoming her
children’s friends into her home. Marion, Thelonious’s sister, fondly remembers
dancing in their front room with her friends at impromptu jam sessions between
Thelonious and his friends. (Kelley 22) This openness allowed Thelonious to
flourish and express individuality amongst diversity. The qualities bestowed on
Thelonious by his mother influenced his development as a musician and a man,
but the community outside of his home also contributed to his genius.
Kelley remarks, “The neighborhood
was full of jazz sounds.” (27) Monks’ first piano teacher, Simon Wolf, was an
Austrian-born Jew and a well-trained classical pianist and violinist. (Kelley 26)
After his skill excelled past Wolf’s ability Monk further developed his talent
through observing and absorbing different forms of music played by the jazz community
of San Juan Hill. This included, but was not limited to, Arabic, North African,
calypso, salsa, and stride piano. (Kelley 23, 236) At the dinner table the Monk
family quartet often sang sacred music of the black Baptist Church. Thelonious
would also accompany Barbara, who emphasized regular church attendance and family
rehearsals, during holiday performances at the church. (Kelley 27,32) The
cultural diversity of San Juan Hill paralleled the motley aesthetics Monk exuded
as his musical genius matured. This conglomeration of cultural influence is
what some mean by “Jazz is New York, man?!”
The San Juan Hill that the Monks
experienced is analogous to the Leimert Park community. After race riots had
disheveled the Leimert Park community cultural hubs like the Coffee House and
World Stage emerged as public violence intolerant forums on which the community
could express itself through dialogue and art. Similarly in San Juan Hill the
Columbus Hill Community Center and the Monk apartment served as sanctuaries for
the jazz community that surrounded Thelonious. In my opinion, artistic
dialogues help create harmony within the communities in which jazz musicians
grow up.
Commented on Matt Ortenberg’s and Matt Hirning's
Your blog has excellent specificity about Monk's upbringing in San Juan Hill and how that community influenced his musical career. However, I also think the violence that Monk encountered in his childhood and the way that influenced his racial outlook is worth mentioning as it played a large role in the formation of his racial identity.
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