# was Thelonius Monk the coolest of the old-school jazz cats?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 10, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235 "2006-05-10T16:26:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/1 "2006-05-10T16:26:06Z")

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When I’ve seen Thelonius Monk play in recorded shows, he just strikes me of being cool. And when i saw “cool”, I don’t mean that his personality is frigid and stoic, he’s just really neat. That little goat beard, the hats, the shoes,\* the way he plays the piano\* and his over-all appearance. Such a funny-looking, warm yet totally intelligent and cool man.

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**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/2 "2006-05-10T17:40:29Z")

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[QUOTE=cactus waltz]  
When I’ve seen Thelonius Monk play in recorded shows, he just strikes me of being cool. And when i saw “cool”, I don’t mean that his personality is frigid and stoic, he’s just really neat. That little goat beard, the hats, the shoes,\* the way he plays the piano\* and his over-all appearance. Such a funny-looking, warm yet totally intelligent and cool man.  
[/QUOTE]

Don’t forget the little dance.

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**Author:** ![Fast\_n\_Bulbous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ab992/32.png) [@Fast\_n\_Bulbous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fast_n_Bulbous)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/3 "2006-05-10T18:41:55Z")

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Anyone named Thelonius Sphere Monk has got to be too damn cool. Eric Dolphy comes a close second though

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**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/4 "2006-05-10T18:43:21Z")

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For my money it’s Monk.

but I’d go along with Mingus too (along with, not instead of)

I’ve said elsewhere: Monk wasn’t a musician, he was the patron god of cool.

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**Author:** ![Logan\_5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Logan\_5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Logan_5)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/5 "2006-05-10T19:40:08Z")

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Monk is very cool, but coolest? We’re not debating abilities or impact, just impressions of coolness, right?

I’d go with Dizzy or Mingus.

Keep on bopin’.

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**Author:** ![blueserge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@blueserge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueserge)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/6 "2006-05-10T19:44:01Z")

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Monk is right up there (NC born and bred like me!) but I hold out for Dexter Gordon. He was so smooth and cool there oughta be a law. “He could attract a crowd just by putting his horn together.”

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-thelonius-monk-the-coolest-of-the-old-school-jazz-cats/356235/7 "2006-05-10T19:52:37Z")

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Nah. It’d have to be [Lester Young](http://legacyrecordings.com/kenburnsjazz/a_young.html).

Influenced more musicians than just about anybody short of Louis Armstrong, both directly and indirectly (because of his own influence on Charlie Parker, who then influenced more musicians than anyone BUT Louis Armstrong). Invented his own slang; hardly anybody could tell what the guy was saying most of the time. Played his tenor at an absurd and highly photogenic angle. Got his nickname from Billie Holliday. Looked great in a porkpie hat.