Thelonious Monk on a Subway

Abstract

JAZZ POETRY Thelonious Monk on a Subway I metMonk ona subway, coming through thetunnel. Hiswordsfell outbetween thick beardhairs, then lumbered toward me,pausedandsighed. Whenthetrain jerked, hislong fingers reached out, touched mypaleshoulder: heworea rust brown coat. Intervals rode thetrack with us:E-flat, D, C andD. Harmonious fifths, andmismatched chords. He explained that themelodies weredots hishandswanted toconnect. I didn'tunderstand soheinvited metohishome. Weemerged from underground and walked. Step, step, stop overthin tones ofSanJuan Hill.Thesunmovedcloser. Step, pause, step.He smiled that slowspreading smile, shookhandswith a man heknew, mumbled andmovedon. Step, step. OnWestSixty-Third, hefound hisdoor, removed hishat, andknocked. Nellietookhishat. Monk'sfingers lipped thewhite keys, unlocked blackones. He tapped, crossed andbangedagain, rolled hisring intoplace. Evolving patterns unclenched ina danceofabrupt imagination, infinite extrusion. 301WorldLiterature Today cc z O CO UJ cc < a. leftLauren Camp, LoudestNoise,2002, threadworkon layered and rustedcotton, rayonand silk,39" x 59" (adapted from a photo by Don Hunstein). Editorial note:For information about Camp's upcoming art exhibitioninPittsburgh, see page 80. Musicdidn't pourout, didn't puddle. He wrung it from hispalms, revived it,gathered itinagainand playedfor hours - "RoundMidnight" and"BlueMonk," theangles oflines merging until myheadwasfull ofsquares andcurves, thetruth ofspheres. He drewsilence onthat piano inhiskitchen until thesuncameup. I drank another cupoftea andleft through thesmalldoor tothecity, thegraygreen emerging light thesameas anyother day,but thecorners ofhismelodies kept opening andclosing, making infinite space inthechunky dankness oftheswilled avenue. Selectionsfrom Camp's Playlist Thelonious Monk playingany of hisown compositions (solo or ina group) EricDolphy's "Something Sweet, Something Tender" Anyof Duke Ellington'ssuites a Ella Fitzgerald,PureElla (1994) a VijayIyer& RudreshMahanthappa, Raw Materials(2006) March- April2011 i 31 ...