1947–1952: Lorraine Gordon[edit]

Thelonious Monk at Minton's Playhouse, 1947

In 1947, Ike Quebec introduced Monk to Lorraine Gordon and her rst
husband, Alfred Lion, co-founder of Blue Note Records. From then on,
Gordon preached his genius to the jazz world with unrelenting passion.
Shortly after meeting Gordon and Lion, Monk made his rst recordings as a
leader for Blue Note (later anthologized on Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1),
which showcased his talents as a composer of original melodies for
improvisation. Monk Blue Note Sessions were recorded between 1947 and
1952.
Monk married Nellie Smith in 1947, and on December 27, 1949 the couple
had a son, T. S. Monk (called Toot), who became a jazz drummer. A daughter,
Barbara (affectionately known as Boo-Boo), was born on September 5, 1953
and died of cancer in 1984.
In her autobiography, Gordon spoke of the utter lack of interest in Monk's
recordings, which translated to poor sales. "I went to Harlem and those
record stores didn't want Monk or me. I'll never forget one particular owner, I
can still see him and his store on Seventh Avenue and 125th Street. 'He can't
play lady, what are you doing up here? The guy has two left hands.' 'You just
wait,' I'd say. 'This man's a genius, you don't know anything.'"[14]
For Alfred Lion, co-owner of Blue Note Records, sales were a secondary
consideration. Michael Cuscuna relates that Alfred Lion told him that there
were three people in his life that when he heard them, he just ipped and had
to record everything they did. The rst was Monk, the second was Herbie
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 Nichols, and the third was Andrew Hill, where he didn’t care how much money
he made or lost. He just had to record this music.[15]
Due to Monk's reticence, Gordon became his mouthpiece to the public. In
February 1948, she wrote to Ralph Ingersoll, the editor of the newspaper PM,
and described Monk as "a genius living here in the heart of New York, whom
nobody knows". As a result, one of PM's best writers visited Monk to do a
feature on him, but Monk wouldn't speak to the reporter unless Gordon was in
the room with him. In September of the same year, Lorraine approached Max
Gordon, the owner and founder of the Village Vanguard and secured Monk
his rst gig there. Monk was showcased at the club for a week, but not a
single person came.[14]
In August 1951, New York City police searched a parked car occupied by
Monk and his friend Bud Powell. They found narcotics in the car, presumed to
have belonged to Powell. Monk refused to testify against his friend, so the
police con scated his New York City Cabaret Card. Without this, Monk was
nominally unable to play in any New York venue where liquor was served.
Although this severely restricted his ability to perform for several years, a
coterie of musicians led by Randy Weston introduced Monk to Black-owned
bars and clubs in Brooklyn that outed the law, enabling the pianist to play
little-advertised, one-night engagements throughout the borough with a
modicum of regularity. Monk spent most of the early and mid-1950s
composing and performing at theaters, outer borough clubs and out-of-town
venues.
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