Monk dejó un legado de standards variados, y hoy hablaré de uno peculiar no tanto por su armoia, melodia o ritmo, si no por su historia: Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues. ¿Curioso nombre verdad? Si no son latinos, o podria atreverme a decir "Herederos de la Gran Colombia" no entenderán tanto la curiosidad que evoca ese nombre para alguien que nunca en la vida asociaría al prócer mas importante de su país con un jazzista de renombre. He aquí la razón de mi investigación, que desemboca o desem-oreja en una entrevista que le hizo a Monk, el gran impulsor del jazz en Venezuela Jacques Braunstein que muestra un ápice de lo raro que era Monk y libera nuestras dudas bolivarianas al respecto, cito a Jacques:

El otro recuerdo es con Thelonious, a quien en una entrevista le pregunté si su tema “Bolívar Blues” fue compuesto como alguna especie de homenaje a nuestro Libertador. Me causó mucha gracia, cuando con su voz ronca, me contestó: ‘¿Cómo dijiste que se llamaba la canción?… Ese tema está inspirado en un hotel en el que siempre nos hospedamos en NY’. Thelonious no tenía ni idea de quién era Bolívar. Estuve riendo por horas. (fuente)

Fuente

¿Gracioso no? Thelonious Monk era todo un personaje y hasta Cortázar lo describe como un "extraño oso que investiga las colmenas del teclado, zarpando entre abejas desconcertadas y hexágonos de sonido". Murió en 1982, de un derrame cerebral en Eaglewood, Nueva Jersey. Fue después de su muerte, ya completamente reconocido por críticos y aficionados, cuando sus composiciones entraron con honores en el repertorio canónico del jazz. (fuente)

Para finalizar les dejo mi humilde práctica de improvisación en teclado sobre el tema de Monk, Blue Bolivar Blues, aspirando sentir y tocar esa colmena musical de la que hablaba Cortázar y por supuesto, esta hermosa crypto-colmena creativa que anda de cumpleaños...
Me disipo, digo, despido -se desvanece-

G'DAY MATES! I hope you are pleased and entertained hivers. Today I bring some jazz again, from one of my idols, the unique Thelonious Sphere Monk. Thelonious was born in North Carolina in 1917, in the middle of the genesis of classical jazz. Thelonious kept a low profile career until 1941, when drummer Kenny Clarke invited him to play at the famous Harlem club Minton's Playhouse, where Monk would evolve his style, playing with a variety of famous personalities. Monk would end up creating his own style and founding the Bebop sub-genre, which exploits all the harmonic, rhythmic and melodic possibilities of jazz.

Monk left a legacy of varied standards, and today I will talk about a peculiar one, not so much for its harmony, melody or rhythm, but for its title: Ba-lue Bolivar Ba-lues. Curious name, isn't it? If you are not Latinos, or I could dare to say "Heirs of the Great Colombia", you will not understand the curiosity that this name evokes for someone who would never in his life associate the most important hero of his country with a renowned jazzman. Here is the reason for my research, which leads to an interview with Monk by Jacques Braunstein, the great promoter of jazz in Venezuela, which shows just a hint of how rare Monk was and frees our Bolivarian doubts on the matter, I cite Jacques:

The other memory is with Thelonious, whom I asked in an interview if his song "Bolivar Blues" was composed as some kind of tribute to our Liberator. I was very amused when, in his husky voice, he answered me: 'What did you say the song was called... That song was inspired by a hotel where we always stayed in NY'. Thelonious had no idea who Bolivar was. I was laughing for hours. (Source)

Funny, isn't it? Thelonious Monk was quite a character, and even Cortazar describes him as a 'strange bear investigating the hives of the keyboard, setting sail among bewildered bees and hexagons of sound'. He died in 1982, of a stroke in Eaglewood, New Jersey. It was after his death, already fully recognised by critics and fans alike, that his compositions entered with honours into the canonical jazz repertory. (Source)

Finally, I leave you with my humble keyboard improvisation practice on Monk's Blue Bolivar Blues, trying to feel and play that musical "hive" of which Cortázar talks about, and why not to feel and embrace this beautiful HIVE that is on bithday ...
I dissipate, I mean, goodbye -fades away-...