The Coolest Book Ever?

If you are a jazz aficionado like myself, this one just might qualify.

"Nica's Dream" by Horace Silver, "Nica's Tempo" by Gigi Gryce and "Pannonica" by Thelonious Monk were just a few of the classic jazz songs written about her.

Who was she?

She was a Rothschild heiress, and her name was the Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, and like a mid 20th Century Medici, she became a patron saint to many of the great be-bop musicians in the history of American jazz music.

The famous alto saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker died in her New York City apartment in the Stanhope Hotel on March 12,1955.

The brilliant, unstable, innovator and musical genius composer and pianist Thelonious Monk was one of her life's great passions, and she helped to support him emotionally and financially through many hard times and right up until the end of his life.

It turns out that she was pretty nifty with a camera, and documented much of her life and friendships with musicians in New York in the fifties and sixties, and thankfully for all of us, these fragile documents of a unique historical moment have been collected and preserved within the pages of this remarkable book.

She also had a wonderful game that turned into a habit and became the basis for this book - to ask everyone what they would do if they had 3 wishes!! Most of the musicians want the standard stuff like money or health or happiness, but one wag said "To always meet chicks as groovy as Nica". What a character she must have been!

She bought a house in Weehawken New Jersey (formerly the residence of film director Josef Von Sternberg) that was dubbed "The Cathouse" for all of the cool cats (jazz players) who hung out there over the years. Many of the great photos on the book are intimate, relaxed polaroids she took of the cats at play, including a shirtless Monk himself engaged in what looks like a mean game of ping pong!!

Above is a candid shot of one of my personal favorites, the legendary jazz vocalist Jon Hendricks, formerly of the vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, snoozing away. Jon is still with us. I ran into him a year or so ago while he was waiting for his car outside the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara, California. It was like seeing a God among mortals.

Looking at this book brought home what a long ago world is depicted there. Jazz, like movies, seems to be an American art form that had its pinnacle in the 20th century. 

Thanks to rare people like Pannonica, a patron saint of the art form, and her granddaughter Nadine for making these photos and memories available to all of us.

Dig!

william

Comments

[myles rothstein]

I'll get a copy immediately! I remember seeing lamb, hndrks, ross at the Birdhouse across from your movie theatre. Did you know william claxton who recently died?

[Margaret Oomen]

My husband would love that book and what do you know it just so happens to be his birthday today. He felt just like you did one day when when he met Oscar Peterson in a hotel elevator in Montreal. He exchanged at few words with him and shook his precious hands. It something he will never forget.

[amy Sullivan]

~ I DiG~
I am getting this book for my 18 year old son, Gabriel~
He loves jazz so.~
~Thanks~
~Amy~

[Maiz]

This looks great. I think I'll get this book for my dad (although he always beats me to it when it comes to jazz-related paraphernalia). I grew up listening to this music all the time.

Just curious: What are your other contenders for "The Coolest Book Ever?"