TheGreatAfricanAmericanClassicalArtFormJazzWasNotMeantfortheDinnerTablePhotocredit:AngelRosadoT.S.MonkBecomeafanTheloniousSphereMonk,IIIisaninternationallyacclaimedjazzdrummer,composer,bandleader,andvocalistAfunnythinghappenedonthewayto"school,"and"dinnertime"gotreallystrange.Letmeexplain.WhenIwasbornin1949,America'smusicalacademiawaspayinglittleattentiontojazzasanintellectualendeavor.Infact,therewasanopenhostilityfromclassicalmusicdepartmentsacrosstheboardtowardsthegenre.OnlyrecentlyhasAmericabeguntotakeanytrueAfricanAmericanintellectseriously.ThelikesofDr.MichaelEricDyson,HenryLouisGatesandMayaAngelou;playwrightslikeAugustWilson;ofcourse,PresidentBarackObama;andmanyothersfromdisciplinesincludingscience,business,technologyandthearts,haveallraisedtheanteformostinAmerica.AfricanAmericanintellectandinnovationcannolongerbeignored.ButIwanttotalkjazzforamomentbecauseearlyon,jazzwasrecognizedasanenormousintellectualendeavorbymanyclassicalgiantsuponitsveryinceptionnearly100yearsago.Thatcertainlywasagoodthing.Butoncepulledintotheworldofacademia,minusitsblackcreators,therewasageneralattempttodistillitdowntoessentiallyaseriesofEurocentricmusicalformulas.Thingslikethatweredisastrousintermsofjazzeducation,andledtoagenerationofmiserablymediocrejazzmusicians.That'swhathappenedwhenwewenttoAmerica's"musicschools"startinginthe'50s.Itwasacrushingblowthathasonlyrecentlybeguntochange.However,inmyopinion,thatwasnothingcomparedtowhatwegotat"dinnertime."WhenwhiterestaurateursfinallydecidedtobringjazzoutofHarlem,inamisguided,albeitsuccessful,attempttogetthebigtouristmoneydowntown,thingsreallychanged.See,jazzwasnotmeantforthedinnertable,orinmanyways,noteventheconcertstage.Itwasmeantfordance.Blackfolkdancedtojazz allkindsofjazz.Asaresultwewereallovertheradio,andalloverthemovies.Butthatcametoahaltwiththeadventoftelevision.Televisionisallpresentation.Idon't

thinkanyonerealizeditatthetime,butclosingthedancefloorswasthekissofdeathforjazzintermsofitsbigtimeentertainmentvalue.Thefirstvictimswereblackfolksthemselves.TheysaidifIcan'tdance,I'mgoingsomewhereelse.TheyrantoRockandRollandR&Bnevertoreturn.DukeEllington,TheDorseyBrothers,LouisArmstrong,CabCalloway,BennyGoodman,EllaFitzgeraldallwereentertainers.Theyhadalook.Theyputafaceontheirmusic.Itwasentertainment,andintellectuallystimulatingatthesametime.Oncewewenttoschoolandbecamepartoftherestaurantcrowd,wegotrealboring.Wewerenolongerentertaining.Ohyeah,thereareafewpeoplewhofindintellectualvirtuosityandgymnasticsentertaining,butnotmostpeople.Notwhentheyhavetimeoff,lettheirhairdownandwanttobeentertained.I'mnottalkingaboutusbeingclownsorminstrels.Wejuststoppedhavingindividualstyles.Westoppedlookingfabulous;stoppedprojectingourtruepersonalitiesbeyondthenotescomingoutofinstruments.Weallowedourpresentationtobecomesohumble,someager,thatpeoplestoppedpayingattention.Everyothergenrehasitsownbellsandwhistlestoexcitepeopleforsure.Buttherearesometoolsthatallentertainershaveincommonlighting,staging,greataudio,andmostofall,personalities.We'vecomealongwaywithsubstance,butwejazzmusicianshavegottogetbackontrack.Ifwejustaddsomeingredientsfromtherestoftheentertainmentworld,peoplewillviewjazzasfunonceagain,andtheywillcomeback.Ifmillionsdidn'tlovethemusictoday,therewouldn'tbewhatwecallacatalog,andmyfather,TheloniousSphereMonk,LouisArmstrong,EllaFitzgerald,MilesDavis,DaveBrubeck,JohnColtrane,BuddyRichandsomanymore,wouldhavedisappeared.Wewouldn'thavehadanInternationalJazzDayconcertstreamedto1.2billionpeoplein2013,and2.5billionpeoplein2014.Noneofthatwouldbepossibleiftherewasn'taninherentloveofthismusic,ironicallybyAmericans.Weoftenloveourselves,anddon'tknowit.SoIsaytoallmyfriendsinjazzmusicians,promoters,clubowners,listeners,andeverybodylet'sbringbackthefun.Let'sgobig.Thatwillbringtheattention,andthemoneywillfollow.____________

TheloniousSphereMonk,III(T.S.Monk)isaninternationallyacclaimedjazzdrummer,composer,bandleader,vocalist,andartseducator.Thesonandmusicalheirtohisfather,thelegendaryjazzcomposer,andpianistTheloniousMonk,heisthecofounderandtheChairmanoftheBoardofTrusteesoftheTheloniousMonkInstituteofJazz.https://www.facebook.com/keepingtheidiomalive#HighArt