Join Us for Brilliant Corners:
A Thelonious Monk Centennial Celebration

On what would have been the 100th birthday of Thelonious Monk (born October 10, 1917), Jazz Standard salutes the lasting legacy of the late pianist, composer, and architect of modern jazz. Thelonious Monk is universally regarded as one of jazz’s greatest icons and his enduring influence is still paramount today, 100 years after his birth.
(Photo: William P. Gottlieb/Library of Congress via flickr.com)

Oct 4: Mike Moreno

“There are many other guitarists out there pushing towards a modern ideal, but none with the precise co­ordinates that Mike Moreno has charted.” (Jazz Times)

Oct 10: Joey Alexander Trio

In celebration of Thelonious Monk’s centennial, Joey comes to our stage to release his new Motema record Joey.Monk.Live exploring Monk’s music in imaginative and deeply-felt ways. In solo, duo, and trio performances, Joey pays tribute to the pianist and composer who first made an impression on him and who still serves as a guiding inspiration. 

Oct 11: Kenny Barron Solo

Appearing on our stage tonight in a rare evening of solo piano, Kenny Barron is among the foremost liv­ing interpreters of Thelonious Monk. In 1982, he co–founded the superb Monk tribute band Sphere with bassist Buster Williams and two former Monk sidemen, saxophonist Charlie Rouse and drummer Ben Riley. Flash forward 34 years, and Barron’s 2016 album Book Of Intuition includes the Monk compositions “Shuffle Boil” and “Light Blue.” A nine–time GRAMMY Award nominee, Kenny Barron was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009 and named an NEA “Jazz Master” in 2010.

Oct 12-14: John Beasley's MONK'ESTRA

Grammy nominated pianist, composer and arranger John Beasley joins the KJO for a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Thelonious Monk’s birth. Beasley is the creator of the Monk’estra, a group that celebrates the genius of Monk’s music with a contemporary twist, incorporating Afro-Cuban rhythms, modern jazz, hip-hop and big band instrumentation. Veteran critic Don Heckman calls Beasley’s work “some of the most mesmerizing big band music of recent memory.” 

Oct 15: Andrew Cyrille/David Virelles/
Ben Street

This special evening at Jazz Standard finds three gifted improvisers joining together to honor the Thelonious Monk legacy.

Oct 17: Frank Kimbrough Quartet Plays Monk

“Monk's music is singular but derived from the Harlem stride piano tradition, complemented by a ‘wrong is right’ sensibility. His compositions, even with all their quirks, are very sturdy and by now have influ­enced several generations of pianists and composers. He pointed the way forward as an architect of the bop movement, even though Thelonious himself was not a bop musician. As a jazz composer, I think of him as second only to Ellington. On my solo piano album Air (Palmetto Records, 2008), I recorded two of Monk's compositions – ‘Coming On the Hudson’ and ‘Jackie–ing’ – and I’m honored to participate in Jazz Standard’s tribute to this great American musician.” (Frank Kimbrough) 

Oct 18: Brian Lynch Quintet

When the 2017 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards were announced on May 17, Brian Lynch and Hollistic MusicWorks emerged as double winners: Lynch for Trumpeter Of The Year, and his latest recording, the GRAMMY Award–nominated Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Interpretation On The Music Of Woody Shaw, as Record Of The Year. You can expect Brian Lynch and his fiery quintet to put a distinctive Latin spin on the music of Thelonious Monk – for one night only, and only at Jazz Standard

Oct 19-22: Charles Tolliver Tentet Performing The Landmark 1959 Monk At Town Hall 

In an historic reenactment & presentation, the Charles Tolliver Tentet will perform Tolliver's definitive transcription of the lost scores of arranger Hal Overton’s orchestrations of Thelonious Monk’s music exactly as it was performed & recorded for the original 1959 Town Hall concert. (Photo credit: Monk and orchestra rehearsing for the Town Hall concert, arranger Hall Overton is standing by the door. W. Eugen Smith/Courtesy of the Heirs of W. Eugene Smith and the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona)  

Nov 30-Dec 3: Danilo Perez with Ben Street and Terri Lyne Carrington: Panamonk

20 years ago, Perez recorded an album celebrating Monk’s legacy. On Panamonk, Pérez explored Monk’s music and style through a contemporary jazz lens…adding a bit of his own personal Panamanian flair. The New York Times called it “a masterpiece of jazz synthesis,” and said, “Mr. Pérez’s approach was refreshing in its irreverence: rather than try to be as faithful as possible to Monk’s distinctive rhythms and harmonies, he used Monk’s vision as a jumping-off point for his own individuality as an improviser.” Now, in celebration of Monk’s centennial, Pérez revisits Panamon and brings his fresh take on the music to today’s audiences.