One afternoon last month METRONOME sponsored The First International Jazz Ping-Pong Championship Tournament, hereinafter referred to as the FIJPPCT. These were the finals, of course. The FIJPPCT qualifying matches and semi-finals were somewhat less formal. As a matter of fact, they weren’t formal at all, and we even doubt that they really happened. But the Jazz Gallery’s Mildred Fields, who acts as recording secretary for the FIJPPCT, presented the list of contestants to us, cleared the tables from the Gallery’s main floor and arranged with the New York Youth Board (Frank Ferro) to loan ping-pong table and equipment. There was an immediate move for disqualification when Mildred forgot her official standing and declared herself a partisan for Thelonious (see above). She carried af lag with Monk’s picture on it. Since Monk had not yet arrived, it was considered unfair to disqualify him and Mildred was allowed to keep the flag as long as she restrained herself from waving it about. The other contestants began their practice sessions: Max Roach, Milt Jackson, Abbey Lincoln and Robert A. Perlongo among them. Time was called for a discussion of rules with the FIJPPCT referee, the audience quieted and it began.

Just before Milt Jackson (above) played his first game with Max Roach (below), he told us that he “had a thing going with Nesuhi Ertegun for years. He was really tough. I never won.” Max Roach: “Milt has beaten me for fifteen years.” Bill Coss: “I hear that Monk is the real champ.” Milt: “Sure, and I’m President of the United States. You know, if you’re waiting for Monk to show up, you’re wasting a beautiful afternoon. Let’s start playing.” They did and Milt won eleven straight points from Max who told him: “You’ve got a hoax on me, that’s what it is.” Abbey Lincoln faced Milt then: “Oh, the tigress takes over.” Max: “You know, Abbey, Milt Jackson used to make a living out of this.” She plays lady’s rules and Milt responded to that for a while, then went on to beat her 13 to 8. Max and Abbey battled to a 21-13 game, Milt beat Max again and time was called for refreshments. During intermission various members of METRONOME’S staff played against each other and altoist John Handy who expects to be “in shape for next year’s tournament.” At which point Thelonious Monk marched in, coated and straw-hatted. Mildred Fields waved her flag and cheered. She was warned for the second time and the flag was taken from her. Monk circled the club several times warily, watching closely.

Max finished off his game with John Handy and retired to the background to watch Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk face each other for the first time. Max: “I got my money on Monk. Hey, you know what? This reminds me of one of those old-time, Harlem YMCA afternoons.” Thelonious: “I just woke up myself.” Monk plays ping-pong with that same terrible intensity with which he plays piano. He mutters occasionally about a bad shot, calls the score after each shot, is almost expressionless except for the intensity. When the ball would escape and bound into some corner of the room, he would bull through the tables and chairs, scattering them in his furious search, anxious to resume the game. On the basis of all that, it is hard to know whether he is really enjoying the game. All the others certainly play hard, but with much bantering with each other and an easy acceptance of final scores. Monk plays to win and there is unmistakable, almost uncomfortable aggression behind each shot. He beat Milt 21 to 13 in the first game. As they started the second, Max yelled: “Hey, Monk, don’t hurt the young kid.” That seemed to sum up the kind of game it was, but it also set the tone forthe battle that followed. Final score: 21 to 17 in a tense game, the best that Milt had played all afternoon.

Monk rested briefly after that game. Someone unkindly referred back to Milt’s earlier remark about Monk’s ping-pong stature, and asked him: “How are you today Mr. President?” Monk returned and beat Max easily in their first and only game, 21 to 10. Robert A. Perlongo was the only METRONOME staffer who had a chance to battle with Monk, and battle it was, although the final score of 21 to 14 doesn’t sound like it. It was Perlongo’s first game of the afternoon and Monk’s fourth, which certainly accounted for a lack of sharpness in the former’s serves, which is really Monk’s chief strength in the game. Monk left immediately after, reporting that he had to get soce [sic] sleep, and before the crown could be fitted to his head. The FIJPPCT had its first champion, the New York Youth Board had its table and equipment back, Mildred Fields was returned to her flag in a special after-gace ceremony, Milt Jackson wandered back to a recording session, Max Roach prepared for another Jazz Artists’ Guild performance, Abbey Lincoln did much the same and the spectators took to the sidewalk outside the Jazz Gallery to discuss fine points of the game, to suggest other contestants and, finally, to drift in their own directions, wondering if Monk’s other hobby, checkers, might make as interesting acompetition, considering Monk, as had this FIJPPCT afternoon, the first of its kind anywhere in the world of jazz.

Originally published in Metronome Magazine.