Curated by North Star Sounds co-host Jon Greenbaum
One of the most fascinating little known figures in jazz didn’t play an instrument.
Baroness Nica Konigswarter would drive her Bentley to deliver groceries to families of musicians who had spent their last dollar. She helped bail jazz musicians out of jail, opened her checkbook at crucial times, and welcomed musicians into her Bolivar Hotel suite and then her home in Weehawken, NJ.
Thelonious Monk spent long stretches in her NJ home, seeking quiet when his wife Nellie’s habit of making vegetable juices for friends and relatives filled their San Juan Hill apartment with electric blender cacophony. He would eventually retire to Nica’s Weehawken home, with Nellie and his children regularly bringing him care packages.
As a Rothschild, Nica grew up in luxurious wealth, spending her childhood days playing on the grounds of her family’s country estate. The Rothschilds dove deep into their interests and hobbies (among them, zoology and entomology – hence Nica’s name “Pannonica” after the rare species of moth). Her total commitment to the mid century NYC jazz world reflects this familial inclination toward total immersion.
One measure of the esteem in which jazz musicians held the Baroness is the number of songs written for her. There is no other person for whom so many jazz songs have been written and dedicated. Here’s a playlist compiling these songs (sadly missing Barry Harris’ Inca – the Baroness was a critical supporter of Harris’ workshops). A few years ago I also compiled a playlist of documentaries on Youtube about her. Although current jazz musicians, in articles and liner notes, express their appreciation for grants support, I am not aware of any songs written about 21st century arts foundations.
There are several books written about Nica, all of them engrossing and recommended. She is also featured in Robin D.G. Kelley’s definitive biography of Thelonious Monk. Konigswarter kept a scrapbook detailing the wishes of hundreds of jazz musicians. The book was published as Three Wishes, An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats.