Monk by Gottlieb

I suppose "sphere" would be the opposite of "cube" (i.e., an unhip person), placing Mr. Sphere in the realm of the very hip. Also, Thelonious Monk's middle name was "Sphere" and Pynchon reputedly is/was a big Monk fan. But why McClintic?

In his The Fictional Labyrinths of Thomas Pynchon David Seed writes:

"Sphere is closely modelled on Ornette Coleman, not to parody him as Stanley Edgar Hyman suggests, but to develop his stature. His origin in Fort Worth, method and line-up all parallel Coleman's, as does the fact that he is playing at the V-note (modelled on the Five-Spot where Coleman began performing in 1959)." [1]

References