TheGreatAfricanAmericanClassicalArtForm

JazzWasNotMeantfortheDinnerTable

Photocredit:AngelRosado

T.S.MonkBecomeafan

TheloniousSphereMonk,IIIisaninternationallyacclaimedjazzdrummer,composer,bandleader,and
vocalist

Afunnythinghappenedonthewayto"school,"and"dinnertime"gotreallystrange.Letmeexplain.
WhenIwasbornin1949,America'smusicalacademiawaspayinglittleattentiontojazzasan
intellectualendeavor.Infact,therewasanopenhostilityfromclassicalmusicdepartmentsacrossthe
boardtowardsthegenre.OnlyrecentlyhasAmericabeguntotakeanytrueAfricanAmericanintellect
seriously.ThelikesofDr.MichaelEricDyson,HenryLouisGatesandMayaAngelou;playwrightslike
AugustWilson;ofcourse,PresidentBarackObama;andmanyothersfromdisciplinesincludingscience,
business,technologyandthearts,haveallraisedtheanteformostinAmerica.AfricanAmerican
intellectandinnovationcannolongerbeignored.

ButIwanttotalkjazzforamomentbecauseearlyon,jazzwasrecognizedasanenormousintellectual
endeavorbymanyclassicalgiantsuponitsveryinceptionnearly100yearsago.Thatcertainlywasa
goodthing.Butoncepulledintotheworldofacademia,minusitsblackcreators,therewasageneral
attempttodistillitdowntoessentiallyaseriesofEurocentricmusicalformulas.Thingslikethatwere
disastrousintermsofjazzeducation,andledtoagenerationofmiserablymediocrejazzmusicians.

That'swhathappenedwhenwewenttoAmerica's"musicschools"startinginthe'50s.Itwasacrushing
blowthathasonlyrecentlybeguntochange.However,inmyopinion,thatwasnothingcomparedto
whatwegotat"dinnertime."WhenwhiterestaurateursfinallydecidedtobringjazzoutofHarlem,ina
misguided,albeitsuccessful,attempttogetthebigtouristmoneydowntown,thingsreallychanged.
See,jazzwasnotmeantforthedinnertable,orinmanyways,noteventheconcertstage.Itwasmeant
fordance.Blackfolkdancedtojazz allkindsofjazz.Asaresultwewereallovertheradio,andallover
themovies.Butthatcametoahaltwiththeadventoftelevision.Televisionisallpresentation.Idon't

thinkanyonerealizeditatthetime,butclosingthedancefloorswasthekissofdeathforjazzintermsof
itsbigtimeentertainmentvalue.

Thefirstvictimswereblackfolksthemselves.TheysaidifIcan'tdance,I'mgoingsomewhereelse.They
rantoRockandRollandR&Bnevertoreturn.

DukeEllington,TheDorseyBrothers,LouisArmstrong,CabCalloway,BennyGoodman,EllaFitzgerald
allwereentertainers.Theyhadalook.Theyputafaceontheirmusic.Itwasentertainment,and
intellectuallystimulatingatthesametime.Oncewewenttoschoolandbecamepartoftherestaurant
crowd,wegotrealboring.Wewerenolongerentertaining.Ohyeah,thereareafewpeoplewhofind
intellectualvirtuosityandgymnasticsentertaining,butnotmostpeople.Notwhentheyhavetimeoff,
lettheirhairdownandwanttobeentertained.

I'mnottalkingaboutusbeingclownsorminstrels.Wejuststoppedhavingindividualstyles.Westopped
lookingfabulous;stoppedprojectingourtruepersonalitiesbeyondthenotescomingoutofinstruments.
Weallowedourpresentationtobecomesohumble,someager,thatpeoplestoppedpayingattention.

Everyothergenrehasitsownbellsandwhistlestoexcitepeopleforsure.Buttherearesometoolsthat
allentertainershaveincommonlighting,staging,greataudio,andmostofall,personalities.We've
comealongwaywithsubstance,butwejazzmusicianshavegottogetbackontrack.

Ifwejustaddsomeingredientsfromtherestoftheentertainmentworld,peoplewillviewjazzasfun
onceagain,andtheywillcomeback.Ifmillionsdidn'tlovethemusictoday,therewouldn'tbewhatwe
callacatalog,andmyfather,TheloniousSphereMonk,LouisArmstrong,EllaFitzgerald,MilesDavis,
DaveBrubeck,JohnColtrane,BuddyRichandsomanymore,wouldhavedisappeared.Wewouldn't
havehadanInternationalJazzDayconcertstreamedto1.2billionpeoplein2013,and2.5billionpeople
in2014.Noneofthatwouldbepossibleiftherewasn'taninherentloveofthismusic,ironicallyby
Americans.Weoftenloveourselves,anddon'tknowit.

SoIsaytoallmyfriendsinjazzmusicians,promoters,clubowners,listeners,andeverybodylet's
bringbackthefun.Let'sgobig.Thatwillbringtheattention,andthemoneywillfollow.

____________

TheloniousSphereMonk,III(T.S.Monk)isaninternationallyacclaimedjazzdrummer,composer,
bandleader,vocalist,andartseducator.Thesonandmusicalheirtohisfather,thelegendaryjazz
composer,andpianistTheloniousMonk,heisthecofounderandtheChairmanoftheBoardofTrustees
oftheTheloniousMonkInstituteofJazz.

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