Tune In, by Mark Lewisohn. Excellent book about the lads early days. Very well researched and written. (First time they played in Germany was the exact day, 20 years prior, that Germany bombed England. Liverpool)
Thelonious Monk, by Kelly. A must read if, like me, you love Monk and Jazz. (Monk played with anybody, anytime and anyplace in NY as a young man because he was the baddest of them all. His nephew came down from Chicago one weekend on a promise from uncle Thelonious that he’d sit in with some of the best musicians in NY. As they arrived in a certain club late at night, the band was hopping. Monk sat at the piano for a couple tunes, but someone in the crowd started a fight and the bar owner closed it down. On the walk back to Monks tenement, in the cold, windy NY night, Monk knew his nephew was upset so he apologized about not getting him a seat at the piano. The nephew, who was a young, effeminate, aspiring musician, ranted to Monk that he’d come all the way by train on a promise that Monk would let him play... Monk listened quietly. Then he said he was sorry. But, in order to make it up to him he’d write a tune for him. The young man was not pleased. His response was a loud, “well, you needn’t”!
Thelonious Monk, by Kelly. A must read if, like me, you love Monk and Jazz. (Monk played with anybody, anytime and anyplace in NY as a young man because he was the baddest of them all. His nephew came down from Chicago one weekend on a promise from uncle Thelonious that he’d sit in with some of the best musicians in NY. As they arrived in a certain club late at night, the band was hopping. Monk sat at the piano for a couple tunes, but someone in the crowd started a fight and the bar owner closed it down. On the walk back to Monks tenement, in the cold, windy NY night, Monk knew his nephew was upset so he apologized about not getting him a seat at the piano. The nephew, who was a young, effeminate, aspiring musician, ranted to Monk that he’d come all the way by train on a promise that Monk would let him play... Monk listened quietly. Then he said he was sorry. But, in order to make it up to him he’d write a tune for him. The young man was not pleased. His response was a loud, “well, you needn’t”!