Doc: The Jazz Baroness

If Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter hadn't moved to New York in 1951, we'd probably have far fewer recordings by Thelonious Monk. Nica, as she was known, was a member of the wealthy Rothschild family, and her decision to relocate to Manhattan came after separating from her husband. She left her five children behind and took a suite at 995 Fifth Avenue. Soon, she began frequenting jazz clubs, where she had a deep and inquisitive respect for the art of bebop improvisation and modern jazz's nocturnal culture and individualism. Thanks to her patronage of jazz musicians who needed a few bucks or a place to stay (Charlie Parker died in her apartment in 1955), Nica became known informally as the “Jazz Baroness."

Of all the jazz musicians she befriended,, Nica was closest to Thelonious Monk. She admired his gentle manner and ingenious compositions and playing. By the mid-1950s, Nica and Monk became close friends, and she was his protector, recognizing that he suffered from a form of mental illness that also ran in her family. At New York's Five Spot and other clubs where Monk performed, the pair were often seen climbing out of her Bentley. But their relationship was platonic. Monk remained married to his wife, Nellie, who was happy to share her husband. Nica took the pressure off of her when it came to caring for Monk and dealing with his mercurial moods. Monk and Nica's bond remained strong until his death in 1982. By then, he had lived with Nica in her Weehawken., N.J., home for 10 years.

Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter died in 1988. She was close with many jazz musicians, and more than 20 important songs were named for her, including Monk's Pannonica, Horace Silver's Nica's Dream, Gigi Gryce's Nica's Tempo, Freddie Redd's Nica Steps Out, Sonny Clark's Nica and Kenny Drew's Blues for Nica.

Here's The Jazz Baroness documentary directed by Hannah Rothschild. Nica was Hannah's great-aunt, and Nica's narrative in the film are read by actress Helen Mirren...