If nothing else, this book promises to be an interesting read. The scandalous Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter—”Nica”—was arguably as much a part of New York’s emerging bebop scene as the now-legendary musicians themselves.
Of the dozen or so songs written for her, Thelonious Monk’s somewhat surreal offering is by far my favorite:
[audio:https://helveticka.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/03-Pannonica.mp3|titles=03 Pannonica]“Pannonica,” from Brilliant Corners (1956). Thelonious Monk, piano; Ernie Henry, alto sax; Sonny Rollins, tenor sax; Oscar Pettiford, bass; Max Roach, drums.
