Grave Error

On Sunday, I did two things that have led into a spiral towards a cross-eyed vision and a headache. First, I decided to continue my efforts to revisit and revive music in my iTunes library that I often neglect. This time I selected my entire Thelonious Monk collection and proceeded to play through it at random.

At the same time, I ventured to finally check out The Office — I went for the U.S. version because it was readily and freely available in streaming. You might call me passionate or you might call me obsessive, but I have fully consumed all four seasons of the show and have gotten through all eighteen Monk albums in my collection in the past four days.

As a result, my vision is blurred and I have a headache. I have also left Ahab’s Wife unfinished with about 100 pages left. But on the bright side, I have laughed out loud (The Office is almost as funny as Arrested Development), and I have discovered some real Monk gems that I had previously overlooked:

• Monk and Sonny Rollins playing “Friday the 13th” from Thelonious Monk & Sonny Rollins;
• Monk and Pee Wee Russell (on clarinet) playing “Nutty” from Monk at Newport 1963 and 1965;
• “I got it bad (and that’s ain’t good)” from Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington;
• and then Monk’s Music and Brilliant Corners in general.