Julius Monk

Monk was born into a well-heeled and well-established family of North Carolina. After training at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he earned his living playing piano in New York City and France, then became manager in 1942 of the New York nightclub Le Ruban Bleu, owned by Herbert Jacoby. In 1956, Monk left that establishment for San Francisco's the hungry i, where he did duty as master of ceremonies. Soon, Murray Grand, new manager of the Downstairs Room (formerly the Purple Onion), recalled Monk to Manhattan. On March 4, 1956, his opening revue, Four Below (starring Dody Goodman) was a triumph. (It was characterized as "the first legitimate cafe revue in New York City" by James Gavin, author of the 1991 book Intimate Nights, The Golden Age of New York Cabaret. ==Discography==

• Four Below Strikes Back; Offbeat Records (OLP 4017): Julius Monk Revue - Julius Monk Revue [1959] • Overture and Opening • Leave Your Mind Alone • Mr. X • It's a Wonderful day to Be Seventeen • Castro Tango! • Charlie Chan • Sitwells • Merry-Go, Merry-Go-Round • Jefferson Davis Tyler's General Store • Four Seasons/Speak No Love • Constant Nymphet • Man Tan • Lola Montez • Family Fallout Shelter • Literary Time • Love, Here I Am • Payola • Take Five with Ronny Graham; Offbeat Records (OLP 4013): Julius Monk Revue;– Ronny Graham, Ceil Cabot, Ellen Hanley, Jean Arnold, Gerry Matthews [5/1958] • Introductory "Notes" • "You've Got to Open the Show" • Roger, the Rabbit • Westport/Portofino • Jefferson Davis Tyler's General Store • Gristedes • Say Hello • Poets' Corner • Pro Musica Antiqua • Gossiping Grapevine • Night Heat • Finale-Doing the Psycho-Neurotique • Julius Monk Presents Demi-Dozen; Offbeat Records (OLP 4015) - Julius Monk Revue [1/1959] • Grand Opening^ • Yes Sirree • Mister Off-Broadway^ • You Fascinate Me So • Conference Call • The Holy Man and the New Yorker^ • The Race of the Lexington Avenue Express^ • Sunday in New York • Intellectual's Rag • Seasonal Sonatina^ • One and All^^ • Portofino • Guess Who Was There • 3rd Avenue El • Statehood Hulu^ • Grand Finale — Monk's Merrie Minstrel Show! (^ lyric by Tom Jones, music by Harvey Schmidt; ^^music and lyric by Harvey Schmidt) • Pieces of Eight; Offbeat Records (OLP 4016): Julius Monk Revue - Julius Monk Revue [1959] • Overture • Happiness is a Bird • And Then I Wrote • Radio City Music Hall • Miss Williams • Uncle Bergie Evans Show • Oriental • Ardent Admirer • Steel Guitars and Barking Seals • Election Spectacular • A Name of Our Own • M'Lady Chatterley • Seasons' Greetings • Farewell • Everybody Wants to Be Loved • Night the Hurricane Struck • A Conversation Piece • Julius Monk presents Tammy Grimes (1959) • Julius Monk Simply Plays (and / or Vice-versa) - 1959 • Seven Come Eleven; Columbia Records LP (55477): Julius Monk Revue - New York Cast [1961] • Dressed to the Nines MGM E3914 OC Cecil Cabot, Gordon Connell, Bill Hinnant, Gerry Matthews, Pat Ruhr, Mary Louise Wilson with William Roy and Carl Norman at the Plural Pianos • Overture/Gala Opening — The Theater’s in the Dining Room/Dressed to the Nines • Tiny Town • And that Was He & She • Sociable Amoeba • Con Edison • Come In and Browse • The Hate Song • A Word from Our Sponsor • Bring Back the Roxy to Me • Nanny • Smoke • Names • Billy's Blues • Ft. Lauderdale • Un-Expurgated Version • Finale-Reprise—Dressed to the Nines • ''It's Your Fault'' • Dime A Dozen; Cadence Records LP (CLP 3063, mono; CLP 25063, stereo): Julius Monk Revue - New York Cast [1962] ==References==