The Keeper of a Shine to Jazz

Yesterday on Morning Edition Felix Contreras highlighted a new collection of memoirs from Lorraine Gordon, Alive at the Village Vanguard. Lorraine gordon is “the keeper of a shrine to jazz” — New York’s historic Village Vanguard. The book recalls a life lived beyond society’s expectations — a colorful swirl of music, politics and family.
From the book:

It was Ike Quebec who first took us to see Thelonious Monk. Ike didn’t say about Monk: “Record him.” He just said, “Come on, I want you to hear someone.” Ike didn’t take us to a club either, he took us to Monk’s West 65th Street apartment. And Alfred and I… well, we heard him.

Monk’s room was right off the kitchen. It was a room out of Vincent Van Gogh somehow – you know, ascetic – a bed, a cot, really, against the wall, a window and an upright piano. That was it.

We all sat down on Monk’s narrow bed — our legs straight out in front of us, like children. I looked up for a moment and saw a picture of Billie Holiday taped to the ceiling. The door closed. And Monk, his back to us, began to play.

Hear the story, view a gallery of photos, and read more from the book here.