Sphere

Recently I've become very into jazz music. I'm actually a little behind on the times, I know, but hey, better late than never, right? I have found Jazz to be so free and unrestricted in it's workings compared to the fairly formulaic pop and "Rhythm and Blues" (that's a laugh) artists of today's music culture. It has really been a breath of fresh air to step back away from that restrictive, boxy music realm and backwards in time to when art could really flow from your music.

Probably my favorite jazz artist thus far is Thelonious Sphere Monk. What I love so much about him is his total commitment to and love of jazz, not only as a music style, but as a philosophy. As a lifestyle. Ev'-ry-thing about this guy was jazz. You watch some of the recordings of him on stage and you can see what I mean. He was the king of improvisational jazz piano, if you ask me. He was famous for his unique style of playing the piano; he would stab at the keys, leaving odd spaces and gaps between sections.

He took it further, though. In the same way that he left gaps in his playing, he would randomly get up out of his seat and walk around the stage as the other instruments continued to play. He would even walk off stage at random times. Never for long, but enough to keep things interesting.

His lifestyle was as unorthodox as his music and his stage attitudes. First off, he was born with what is probably the most unique name of the 20th century. He was known to say very unexpected things, dress in odd ways, walk strangely, and make odd facial expressions. He was the very epitome of jazz music. He simply didn't care at all about what anyone thought of him.

Thelonious was a true jazz musician, and a true jazz icon in every facet of his life.