Artist Michael White working on the Count Basie mural last week. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Anyone heading to borough hall, picking up some steaks at Monmouth Meats or just heading down Monmouth Street over the past few weeks has surely had their head turned by the latest addition to Red Bank’s growing number of murals: a two-story black and white work depicting jazz great William “Count” Basie seated at the piano.
The 1250 square foot mural on the east wall of 110 Monmouth Street has drawn praise from passersby, social media commentators and members of the Borough Council at last week’s meeting.
But the story behind the mural is also a virtual symphony of Red Bank awesomeness, in which a maestro of meat described (by himself) as the Jimmy Hendrix of butchery, teamed up with a local artist and an organization charged with orchestrating beauty across the streetscape to honor Red Bank’s favorite son.
“It was a no brainer for me to do this,” said artist Michael White as he worked on the mural last week. “It’s music and its history, the Monmouth Meats building is 120 years old. I thought ‘this is cool. It’s great that I’m connecting with all these different streams of Red Bank in this way.”
Longtime butcher Stewart Goldstein (pictured at right) bought the business Monmouth Meats in the early 2000’s from a family that had operated a butcher shop there since 1955. He bought the building itself in 2017. The building also houses Azteca Grill on the ground floor and the recording studio Retromedia Sound Studios upstairs.
Goldstein said he was looking for a way to spruce up the east facing wall. Meanwhile, White, who lives in Red Bank, was looking for available walls to do a mural on.
And Red Bank Rivercenter, the non-profit organization charged with improving and promoting the business district, put in place new policy this year: the organization would foot 50 percent of the bill for a mural if they approve of the design. Goldstein agreed to pay the other half and all agreed on White’s idea of the atmospheric, backlit silhouetted depiction of Count Basie.
“Of course, this mural is across the street from the Count Basie Center For the Arts, so it made sense in so many ways,” said Rivercenter Executive Director Bob Zuckerman. “Michael is doing a great job with this mural, and it’s going to add so much beauty to this block of Monmouth Street. “
As of Friday, White estimated the mural would be 98 percent done by Monday.
Meanwhile, Goldstein joked that the only beef he has with the mural is that his face was not included in the design.
Thankfully, Red Bankers can just see the real thing by going inside the butcher shop.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331 or yelling his name loudly as he walks by. Do you value the news coverage provided by redbankgreen? Please become a financial supporter if you haven’t already. Click here to set your own level of monthly or annual contribution.
