In one of the (in my opinion) best American TV shows
American Dreams which lasted only 3 seasons (because it was very good) and which I am reliving the first season on DVD, the name Thelonious Monk has come up at least twice.
The series begins in 1963 Philadelphia and the American Bandstand show of then.
Thelonious' name comes into play when the "cool" guy character 'Luke' tells his girlfriend the protagonist 'Meg' that she likes too much of the "bubble gum" music they play in American Bandstand where she is a dancer at age 15 and that she should listen to music like Thelonious'.
The protagonist is only slightly older than I am and so I can relate to everything on that show especially when it comes to the music, considering that the first rock band that I made was in 1965 when I was 15.
We were pretty good (the youngest was 14) since we were hired (with the permission of our parents of course since we were all in high school and living with our parents!) to play in St. Thomas which was then
THE coolest place to play if you were a band in Puerto Rico.
We stayed and played at Duffy's Guest House in the summer of 1966 which is where the Mamas and The Papas stayed and played in 1965.
Trivia fact: I have taken a
shower (at age 16) in the same tub that Michelle Phillips did!
We were asked back to the same gig in 1968 and 1969. Something that in 1966 seemed to me to be simply impossible.
Imagine a child of 16 saying to his "god" that the only thing he wants in life is to GO BACK to St. Thomas and play. Imagine then that the request is answered in the positive. Twice. At ages 18 and 19!
YESSSSSSSS!!!
[ June 10, 2006: Message edited by: Tony Alicea ]