So Good: Thelonious Monk

I’m now on chapter two of “But Beautiful,” by Geoff Dyer, and checking out Monk from a fresh angle. Those almost drunken clusters he plays kind of remind me of Tom Waits’ playing, though Tom does it for comedic, or at least theatrical, effect. This guy…I think it’s a lot more complicated than that. Watch the reactions of his band members, who are laying out. This kind of listening was a daily occurrence for them, and they’re still feeling the edge Monk rides.

More video accompaniment to the jazz artists in Geoff Dyer’s “But Beautiful”: http://www.errico.com/tag/but-beautiful/

More So Good: http://www.errico.com/category/so-good/