Blog 4

Both Robin Kelley’s biography of Theolonius Monk and the film, Leimert Park, give us useful insights into the relationship between art and the community. So prominent were the mingling of cultures in these areas that young musicians like Thelonious were forever influenced by their musical styles. The plights that they suffered also had effects on their music but it was the melding cultures that had the most influence. Through this relationship between art and the community those with genius were able to create something new out of the urban crucible of New York.

Although initially staying with a friend of his mothers Thelonious and his family ended up in San Juan Hill whose “reputation as a violent community was as strong as ever” by the time they moved there (Kelley 19). However, in spite of this there was a rich musical culture in the area, that was often overlooked by newspapers and the people that labeled San Juan Hill as a violent place (Kelley 19). It was this culture that helped breed and nurture the up and coming musical genius within Thelonious. There was so much Caribbean and Southern American music that the San Juan Hill children became “cultural hybrids” (Kelley 23). Evidence of the impact these cultures had on Thelonious can most explicitly be heard on “Bye-ya” and “Bemsha Swing” with both possessing Caribbean rhythms (Kelley 23). Growing up in San Juan Hill he was constantly absorbing these different genres and styles through radio and the “sounds of the Victrola pouring out of his neighbors’ apartments” (Kelley 23).  However, his later music would also come to be influenced by the horrible wrongs he would suffer as a result of the racism of the time. On trips to school “battles with neighborhood white kids…were daily occurrences” and moreover the San Juan Hill area was known for its race riots (Kelley 30). Thus, as Thelonious grew older these memories stuck with him making him extremely unwilling to adapt and cater to white audiences. Many black musicians of the time acknowledged the double-consciousness of American society, releasing softer, more romantic records that appealed to the white American tastes. Thelonious refused to do this staying true to his black musical roots that were developed during his years in San Juan Hill. These ideas of cultural interaction and racial oppression shaping Jazz music in New York validates the assertion that, “Jazz is New York, man !?”.

These features of the San Juan Hill community are also reflected in the movie Leimert Park. Both of these areas are rife with different cultures that intertwine and mingle. It is this great sense of community that enables the creation of such beautiful art. There is no greater symbol of this strong community feel than 5th Street Dick’s Coffee Company (Leimert Park). At this coffee shop people of all ages, races and cultures come together to talk and share ideas and music. This leads to the creation of art as people are improvising off one another, creating new things out of the combination of different cultures and artistic styles. The video depict this by showing a rap battle outside the coffee shop in which Caribbean drumming of a young black male is being infused with the lyrics of a white senior citizen (Leimert Park). It is this unique relationship between art and the community in these areas that inspire musicians to perform and create great things.

In conclusion, I feel that the relationship between art and community for a musician growing up has a vast influence on his future works. Children were constantly surrounded with music of different cultures allowing them to create music that blended all of them into something much greater. The extreme closeness of communities like San Juan Hill and Leimert Park encouraged the musical genius of people like Thelonious.

commented on Addison Jerlows blog