Where are those Montecristos?
Jan 14th, 2010 by Admin
Some say Vincent Van Gogh was inspired by the sunlight that bathed the town of Arles where he lived not far from Marseille in the south of France while others say it was the breakdown of his friendship with fellow artist Paul Gauguin that caused him to paint in such bright colors and, what many considered at the time, wildly insane brush strokes. One day he felt inspired to get a little attention so he cut off his ear, wrapped it up in a rag and gave it to a hooker. Whatever it was that fueled his inspiration his paintings are adored by millions today and hang proudly in many art galleries, museums and private homes around the world. Big.. Big.. Big private homes.Duke Ellington had a love for his mother that was legendary. He grew up in Washington DC and as a young boy his mother treated him as if he was very special to the point where, some say, he rarely took any steps in his childhood since it was reported that she carried him around wherever he needed to go like a precious china doll. Whether or not that is true she treated him as a gifted child and in turn he became one of the most respected composers of American jazz. Duke took the sadness he felt after her death in 1935 and turned it into the inspiration he needed to write some of the most beautiful pieces of music of his writing career. These works of art are loved by jazz fans and taught to young musicians in music programs in schools and universities around the world.Now we all know the story of Montecristo cigars getting their name from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel but I wonder if any of those Montes, rolled during the time the story was being read by “El Lector” at the factory, are still around today. Was the “torcedor” distracted by this tale of treasure, adventure and revenge which could have caused shoddy workmanship or were these cigars works of art like Ellington’s ” A-Train” or Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”? Where are THOSE Montecristos and what would one of those vintage cigars be worth today?We are the arsonists of the art world since we take the art produced by the cigar roller and set it on fire. Imagine if Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” had lasted only one day before it was torched or maybe Brian Wilson’s “Good Vibrations” was only heard once by one listener who wanted to buy the song.I would like to think that maybe a couple of those vintage Montes are still around today and if any of you have a few in your humidors I know someone with a birthday coming up!
