Overdue Ovation: Singer Fleurine, Monk Lyricist & International Star

“Hi! I’m Fleurine, and I’m from Holland, and I wrote lyrics to a Monk song.”

That’s how an upbeat Dutch conservatory student introduced herself to musical multi-hyphenate Don Sickler. Thelonious Monk had just been a topic of discussion on a publishing panel featuring Sickler—the scene was the 1994 JazzTimes Convention in New York—and this aspiring vocalist, just visiting the city for a few short weeks, was eager to learn more about the ins and outs of the business.