Thelonious Sphere Monk was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on October 10, 1917 the same year that the Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded the first examples of New Orleans Jazz in New York City. 1917 also marks the birth of the first generation of Bebop musicians including Dizzy Gillespie and Tadd Dameron. Monk’s family moved to New York City when he was four years old. By the 1940’s he was playing Jazz in Harlem and became the house pianist at the famed nightclub Minton’s Playhouse where he and other musicians of the era developed the revolutionary Jazz style called Bebop. Monk was not immediately recognized by the public as a major Jazz artist but musicians knew and understood his contributions to this new music. In the 1940’s Monk made his first recordings for Blue Note records establishing himself as both an idiosyncratic pianist and one of the most unique voices in Jazz composition. He recorded for the Prestige and Riverside record labels in the 1950’s and by the 1960’s he had a record contract with Columbia records and appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Monk died in Weehawken, NJ in 1982 after a period of seclusion resulting from deteriorating health related to Bipolar disorder. His last appearance was in 1976 at the Newport Jazz Festival. Percussionist and composer John Bacon has organized a series of concerts to celebrate Thelonious Monk’s contribution to modern Jazz. Performing Monk’s music throughout the Buffalo Area during the month of October will be saxophonists Bobby Militello, Kelly Bucheger, Steve Baczkowski and Nelson Rivera; pianists George Caldwell, Bobby Jones, Kevin Doyle and Joe Rozler, Bassists Sabu Adeyola, Bill Staebell, Ed Croft and Jerry Livingston and other instrumentalists including guitarists Greg Millar and Ron Locurto , vibist Alec Dube and vocalist Esin Gunduz, cellist Jonathan Golove, trumpeter Mark Filsinger and the UB Big Band. Venues include Pausa Arthouse, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, The Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo, Baird Hall at UB and Nietzsche’s.
John Bacon, Jr. Bobby Militello Quartet _______________ The Villa Maria Faculty Jazz Ensemble perform Thelonious Monk Esin Gunduz vocals, Jim Bohm trumpet, Kelly Bucheger saxophones, Thelonious Monk Birthday with the UB Faculty Jazz Quartet Bobby Militello saxophone, George Caldwell piano, Sabu Adeyola bass and John Bacon drums. __________ The Buffalo Jazz Octet perform Thelonious Monk Tim Clarke trumpet, Phil Sims trombone, __________ Star People Plays Miles Plays Monk Mark Filsinger trumpet, Brian Tervo tenor sax, __________ Monk Piano Summit George Caldwell, Kevin Doyle and Joe Rozler in solo and ensemble performances __________ Monkisphere __________
Bobby Militello Quartet
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