Fifty years ago today, Thelonious Monk graced the cover of TIME, a rather rare accomplishment for a jazz musician. Here he is with his Quartet performing “Round Midnight” in Norway in 1966.

Ed Kilgore

Ed Kilgore is a political columnist for New York and managing editor at the Democratic Strategist website. He was a contributing writer at the Washington Monthly from January 2012 until November 2015, and was the principal contributor to the Political Animal blog.