The Picasso from Rocky Mount, N.C.

The following remarks were delivered yesterday by Eddie Ray of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame at the ceremonies honoring Thelonius Monk, which took place in Rocky Mount, N.C. I was privileged to be asked to write a little something befitting of the occasion; and glad to do it.

My original draft was a little bit different in that it included 3 paragraphs which Eddie Ray chose not to speak, thus proving his legendary talents as an accomplished Artists and Repertoire (A&R) man. I have been known to go on tangents and need minding. 

So, here is the text of the remarks as written by me and edited to a fine edge by Eddie Ray, and then spoken at the ceremony. It was an honor for me to write about Thelonius Monk; and although I might not be the number 1 fan as purported in the in the opening remarks; I do recognize the genius of the man.

Introduction by Bobby Monk.

Eddie Ray:

“Thank you Bobby,

When Robert Williams,  a devoted fan of Thelonius  Monk,  heard that I had been honored to participate in Thelonius’  97th  Birthday Celebration in his home town of Rocky Mount, NC, he sent me   some  suggested  comments  about his musical idol  that he would  have liked to share if he were participating in the Celebration.  Robert’s comments were so beautiful and emotionally moving, I decided to share them with you. He entitled his presentation, 

 

“THE PICASSO FROM ROCKY MOUNT”

“The leaves would have been turning; just as they are now. Look around outside at the beautiful colors surrounding us; these were the first sights that the boy would ever see.  And though he traveled far; would they ever leave him?  The sounds of his first winter would have been full of the wind as it howled and blew through  the hills;  and when it froze  he would have heard the cracking of the tree limbs as they broke away from the trunks, crashing,  quietly muffled on the snow  covered ground; crashing quietly; just like the struggles evident in his music later on; when discordant notes fought for a place among sweeter melodies. Could his senses have ever really forgotten from where that came?

Surrounded by the colors and SOUNDS of these hills and mountains where he was born had to have helped form the mind of the boy who would someday mesmerize the world with his unique SOUNDS. And although he would leave these hills at an early age; he was only 5 years old when his family moved to New York City; this is where he came from.

After moving to New York, where the people today still claim  him as their own;  it seemed like everybody wanted a piece of him.  A largely self-taught   musician, he did attend Julliard for a while; where it must have been difficult for him to contain his musical visions within the confines of a structured school setting.  But, at age 17 he toured with a gospel band playing the organ for a few years before forming his own ensemble. 

After that, came the legendary years, which produced such classics as “Round Midnight” in 1947. Photos of him at the time; he was 30; show a sharply dressed and focused man. I could go on about all his great achievements in the field of Progressive; and even Advant Garde Jazz, but all of that has been covered elsewhere by others. You didn't come here to hear a biography. You came here to celebrate a great musical SOUND.  

Somewhere, sometime; there was a note, or possibly a melody, which entranced you and drew you in, And then you were hooked on that “SOUND”. Thelonius Monk was that SOUND personified. And his entire life; until his death over 30 years ago; was a continued exploration of just how far he could take that SOUND, from Rocky Mount, NC to New York City and to every city in the world he took his SOUND he refined it each step of the way , adding something he heard here; and a note he heard there; until those combined SOUNDS became the soundtrack of his own life and travels; and the lives of those that traveled the musical path with him.

But in the end it always comes back to the place where it began. Sometimes it takes a while for the SOUND to travel; but travel it does. And this time it has traveled all the way back to Rocky Mount, NC where it began”.    ©Robert Williams

On behalf of the NC Music Hall of Fame,  I am  honored  and grateful  to have  the opportunity to  help  preserve, honor and promote Thelonius  Monk’s extraordinary contributions to the rich musical history of our State of North Carolina and to the entire world.  The memory and enjoyment of his amazing musical contributions to the world of music will live on forever.

For more about both Eddie Ray and the NC Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis, go to their link at;

http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

Easter

This is Hieronymous Bosch's 16th Century painting of "Christ Carrying the Cross." He was not a very prolific artist, and this painting represents one of only 24 paintings he is known to have done. It stands today in the Voor Schone Museum in Ghent.

What I find most fascinating about the painting is that it almost resembles the Modernist, and even some aspects of the Cubic form, found in some contemporary artists, such as Picasso, and also Bermudez. The use of vibrant colors, along with distinct lines to the figures, help bring to life the story being told.

Examining the painting, along with a bit of reading, reveals the story of Saint Veronica, who carries the veil bearing the imprint of Christ's face on the way to his Crucifixion. She is a woman of faith, and as such, appears to be calm. The other figure is that of Simon of Cirene, who, under orders from the Romans, is helping to bear the burden of the cross. He is clearly distressed. The crowd surrounding them as they struggle with their burden, is a hostile one, and painted in an exaggerated fashion in order to emphasize the hostility of man towards that in which he has no faith. Their own lack of faith makes them part of the problems they all face. Yet, they lack the courage of the condemned man, and so they revile him.

The only peaceful face is that of Jesus, who knows his fate and accepts it. Indeed, he has no choice. Accompanying Christ are the two thieves, on their way to their own executions, both fearful of the fate which awaits them. Their courage is not lacking, only their faith in something better which may lie ahead to redeem them.

The religious theme aside, the message in this classic painting is one which still rings true today. We are all complicit in the ills of the world. There is a faith which is lacking in us all. And that lack of faith is not a faith in Christ, or Moses, nor is it in something material. It is, instead, a lack of faith in ourselves to tackle the problems facing us, which troubles us the most.

And, by the way, Sarah and I both wish you a Happy Passover, too!

On Display - Cundo Bermudez

Sue and I went to a display of some of the works of Cundo Bermudez (1914-2008) at the Charlotte Country Day School's Hance Fine Arts Center the other day. The Center is located at 1440 Carmel Road, just south of Fairview Road. Plenty of signs and parking made the trip very pleasant.

Cundo Bermudez is the Cuban Modernist Painter who fled Cuba in 1967. His exposure to Mexican art in the late 1930's, when he traveled to Mexico, along with his subsequent exposure to some of the finest European painters, such as Matisse, Picasso, and Rousseau give all his work a unique touch, blending colors and lines into images that are at once reminiscent of Mayan art, while at the same time evoking a more modern Cubist flavor. Add to this the fact that he worked right until his death at age 94, and you can easily see how he was such an influence within his genre. Some of his latest works are among his best, with a relevancy that defied his age. He was, to coin a pun, an artist who would not allow himself to be painted into a corner.

The exhibit is a product of the generosity of Isaac and Sonia Luski, who fled Castro's Cuba in 1960, taking only 4 suitcases of clothing with them. On the way to the airport they stopped at the gallery of Renee Portocarrero and purchased 2 of his pieces. They wanted to take something of Cuba with them to their new country.

Over the years Mr. and Mrs. Luski have acquired more than 50 pieces of Cuban art, which they generously share with the public. In the words of Mr. Luski himself, "We collect art because we love it. We give it away because we like to share it." That's quite a statement.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Luski , along with Charlotte Country Day School, for brightening a grey January afternoon with your generosity. It is people, and institutions, such as yourselves, who keep the world turning, allowing us to always expect a brighter tomorrow with each new dawn.

The Library

It's almost 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and due to some family drama, only worth noting as an explanation for the tardiness of this post, I was almost going to skip posting today. I figured, who cares anyhow? Turns out that I do. So, as I often do, I headed to the nearest library to find whatever was to be found. And, as usual, I found plenty!

I roamed the History section, perusing everything between the First Crusade and up to the end of the Cold War. (The Cold War is one of my favorite subjects because I grew up during the height of it.) From there it was on to the Biography section, where I dropped in on the likes of Stalin, Newton, Peggy Lee (read that one once), Asimov (outstanding autobiography) Danny Thomas, Ben Franklin, Lincoln and so on. Then I got to the Oversized Books where I stayed for almost an hour. There were books of Photograhs from the late 1800's by Jacob Riis in New York and photos of the San Francisco Earthquake alongside photobooks of the Great Depression and the more contemporary masters like Ansel Adams. Even today's visual arts, including Grafitti, were represented on those shelves. The picture at the top of this page is "Still Life with Female Bust" by artist  Everett Spruill. I'm generally more of a traditionilist; I like Monet, Manet, etc., but this painting is so vivid and colorful that it cannot help but affect the viewer in some way. And it did, so here it is.

I took out an oversized book of Norman Rockwell paintings, two books on history and 6 DVD's. Two are documentaries that I have not seen before, the History Channel's "History of the Joke" with Lewis Black and Volume 4 of the PBS Series "Eyes On the Prize." Having just watched "Mississippi Burning" last week I wanted to see some old, archival footage of the actual events portrayed in that film.

The point of this is not to fill space, but rather, to highlight the need for Public Libraries in the first place. They serve as a destination for all ages and ethnic groups. They are a reflection of our culture. And on a cloudy day in my heart, they serve as a light to my soul.