Larry Goldings, Thelonious Monk, and Musical Understanding
This video parody was created by the accomplished jazz pianist Larry Goldings, presumably to express his admiration of Thelonious Monk. While fascinating on many levels I find it particularly interesting for what it demonstrates about musical understanding. In brief, I want to argue that you can only understand Monk’s music if you have already gained some proficiency in listening to jazz of the first half of the twentieth century, such as stride, swing, bebop, and the blues to boot. In turn, the video is only funny if you understand Monk’s music. Thus, at its base, what it represents is a parody of a loving parody. And a simultaneously humorous and insightful one at that demonstrates understanding is never in itself. Understanding is always deferred to something else, that something else further on. And on and on.
