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Inside the Thelonious Monk Institute

Last September the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, a postgraduate training program headed by the trumpeter Terence Blanchard, relocated to Loyola University New Orleans after a dozen years at the University of Southern California. The move was partly a practical matter, but also a symbolic gesture, announced as the signal gesture of a “Commitment to New Orleans" initiative. It may have been one of the happiest cultural developments in this city over the past year.

The Monk Institute is among the most prestigious finishing schools today for a young jazz musician: it admits only enough students to populate a small combo, usually between six and eight. The fortunate few who are admitted have the opportunity to study together for two years, enjoying the mentorship of Mr. Blanchard and heavyweight guests like the pianist Herbie Hancock and the saxophonist Wayne Shorter. (One recent alumnus, the guitarist Lionel Loueke, just released his first album on Blue Note Records, complete with cameos by Mr. Hancock and Mr. Shorter.)

This year's Monk Institute class has only been working together since the start of the fall term, but already there's a noticeable chemistry among the students, judging by their Jazzfest performance on Sunday morning. The group didn't sound quite like a full-fledged band yet - there were still some tentative moments - but it wasn't hard to detect much promise.

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