Submitted by linden518 on Sat, 10/17/2009 - 10:55 Robin D.G. Kelley's new Thelonious Monk bio gets not just one but TWO extraordinary reviews in the NYT, one in the Book Review by August Kleinzahler, who wrote a memoir called Cutty, One Rock a few years back which no one read, but I really loved. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books/review/Kleinzahler-t.html?ref=review The other review of the book is written by the NYT jazz guy, Ben Ratliff, who recently wrote a Coltrane bio: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/books/17monk.html?ref=arts&pagewanted=all One consistent point that both reviewers make is that the book succeeds in demystifying Monk as some preternaturally gifted freakazoid... Got me curious for sure.
Robin D.G. Kelley's new Thelonious Monk bio gets not just one but TWO extraordinary reviews in the NYT, one in the Book Review by August Kleinzahler, who wrote a memoir called Cutty, One Rock a few years back which no one read, but I really loved.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/books/review/Kleinzahler-t.html?ref=review
The other review of the book is written by the NYT jazz guy, Ben Ratliff, who recently wrote a Coltrane bio:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/17/books/17monk.html?ref=arts&pagewanted=all
One consistent point that both reviewers make is that the book succeeds in demystifying Monk as some preternaturally gifted freakazoid...
Got me curious for sure.