Home
Jazz From J to Z: Monk in Motian at the Artists Quarter, November 8th Print E-mail

“You know, anybody can play a composition and use far-out chords and make it sound wrong. It’s making it sound right that’s not easy." -- Thelonious Monk, 1961 

For many years, only the most sophisticated jazz musicians, including Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane, appreciated the genius of Thelonious Monk. One of the greatest (and most prolific) composers of the 20th century, today Monk is celebrated for his many compositions that are part of the standard repertoire of jazz, from straight ahead to avant garde. Not only did Monk write hundreds of tunes, his off-kilter structures and rhythms offer endless avenues for interpretation regardless of stylistic leanings.  One such group of interpreters is the local ensemble, Monk in Motian, performing at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul on November 8th at 7 pm as part of the TCJS’s Jazz From J to Z series. A student ensemble, The St. Cloud All-Star Jazz Band, will provide a warm-up concert at 5 pm. 

Image
Zacc Harris leads Monk in Motian on November 8th&copyAndrea Canter
A collaboration of some of the area’s most creative jazz artists, Monk in Motian reinterprets the music of Monk through the musical style of Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band. In other words, the compositions of one genius are filtered through the mind of another.  Monk is often cited as one of the founders of bebop, given his affiliations with Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson and more in the 1940s and 50s. However, his style veered off in an idiocyncratic direction, his compositions marked by dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists, while his unique piano style featured a highly percussive attack with abrupt use of silence and hesitations.  Once a bandmate of Monk himself, the highly prolific drummer Paul Motian was also affiliated in the 50s with Stan Getz, George Russell, and particularly Bill Evans. Moving the drummer’s role far beyond timekeeping, Motian went on to work with Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Charlie Haden, Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell.  

The Monk in Motian band has the chops to handle the challenge of merging these two legendary forces-- guitarists Zacc Harris and Park Evans;  saxophonists Scott Fultz and Brandon Wozniak; bassist Matt Peterson; and drummer Pete Hennig. Each has extensive experience in modern jazz—Harris, Wozniak and Hennig as part of the Atlantis Quartet; Fultz as a member of the Jazz Is Now Nownet; Peterson with the Zacc Harris Trio and Ingo Bethke, and more.

In their previous outings, Monk in Motian has proved beyond doubt that one can never be complacent regarding Thelonious Monk. The music is an open door for improvisation and quirky combinations of instruments as well as notes and rhythms. Our local interpreters offer a perfect accompaniment to end the weekend—music guaranteed to keep your mind and ears stimulated, in a very entertaining context.

Monk in Motian performs as a Jazz From J to Z concert on November 8, 7 pm, at the Artists Quarter at 408 St. Peter Street in St. Paul, lower level of the Hamm Building. Tickets at the door, $10, $8 for TCJS members, students and seniors. Inexpensive ($3) parking available at the Macy’s ramp at 6th and Wabasha (one block from the club) and free onstreet. The St. Cloud All-Star Youth Jazz Band performs (no charge) at 5 pm. More about Monk in Motian at http://www.myspace.com/monkinmotian.
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]
advertisement.png, 0 kB
Advertisement