When it comes to explaining my 'Thelonious Monk Greatest Hits' playlist, my job is inescapably threefold. I wear 3 hats. 

Number one, I am his son. Number two, I had the extraordinary privilege of performing with him. And number three, I am a fan - like millions of others. 

As his son, I tend to love everything he composed because I grew up listening to all the music, starting in my mom’s tummy. 

Instantly, I became familiar with the music, along with my sister, “Boo Boo” Barbara Monk. The...