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T.S. Monk
T.S. Monk - drummer, bandleader, composer, and vocalist was drawn to the drums before the age of ten. His destiny was sealed when Max Roach, with whom he studied, gave him his first drum set. After earning a reputation in school as a rabble-rouser (and graduating), the young Monk joined his father's trio and toured with his dad until the elder Monk's retirment in 1975. T. S. then launched into the music that had captivated him and his generation, R&B. He first toured with a group called Natural Essence and afterward, along with his sister Barbara, formed his own band. He then proceeded to have hits on two recordings, House Of Music and More Of The Good Life , where T.S. played drums, arranged, and sang.
T. S. received the New York Jazz Awards First Annual "Recording of the Year" award and 'Downbeat's' prestigious 63rd annual Album of the year Reader's Choice Award for Monk On Monk. Monk on Monk is the "80th Anniversary Birthday Tribute to Thelonious Sphere Monk" featuring twenty guest artists including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval, Dianne Reeves, Nnenna Freelon, and Howard Johnson, among others. Critics and the public lauded T. S. Monk as his father's true musical heir, as bandleader, and performer. Rave reviews in the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, the L.A. Times, and others, echoed the public sentiment of the sold out concert hall shows across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Shortly after his father passed away leaving a rich and legendary legacy, tragically his sister died of cancer. To honor his father's legacy and support the efforts of education, Thelonious turned his attention toward forming the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. As Chairman, Thelonious has been at the forefront of helping to create a number of programs that range from sponsoring music education for students in the form of full scholarships to funding and supporting after-school athletic programs. The Institute's activities reach from Boston to Los Angeles and from New York to Orlando.
In 1992, Thelonious formed his jazz sextet and received raves from the moment they hit the stage and the studio. One of the most unique groups on the circuit, the T. S. Monk Sextet's cohesive and driving style has been heard at the JVC Jazz at the Bowl festival, Sun Valley Center, Lied Center for the Performing Arts, and many of the legendary jazz clubs. For his special 80th Anniversary Birthday Tribute to his father, the sextet formed the core of the eleven musician, pulsating and dynamic show. With Grammy Award winning producer (for Joe Henderson's Lush Life, among others) Don Sickler on trumpet, the duo has carved an innovative and dynamic approach to crafting the T. S. Monk Sextet sound; this band soars and sizzles.
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T.S. Monk Sextet at Revolution Hall
by Tom Borden and Eric Gibbons
T.S. Monk Sextet Revolution Hall PDX Jazz 2017 Portland, OR February 25, 2017 The centerpiece of the 2017 PDX Jazz festival was a posthumous honor bestowed upon the late great Thelonious Monk. Inarguably a pillar in the pantheon of jazz, Monk's music was delivered at this year's festival from as close to the source as one among the living can get: via his son T.S. Monk. Anyone born to such an immense ...
Continue ReadingT. S. Monk at 38th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival
by Matt Marshall
T. S. Monk Sextet 38th Annual Lakeland Jazz Festival Kirtland, Ohio February 27, 2010
Although the last of the February snow onslaughts tried its best to kill the 38th annual Lakeland Jazz Festival--the longest-running jazz festival in Northeast Ohio--and did, indeed, postpone trumpeter Sean Jones' scheduled February 26 performance until a later date, drummer T. S. Monk and his sextet bravely battled the elements to make it into Kirtland, Ohio, and entertain a room ...
Continue ReadingT.S. Monk Speaks Out
by Franz A. Matzner
T.S. Monk is a voluble speaker. Which stands to reason since he is also an exceptionally engaged man. Not only does Monk have a new release due this August, Higher Ground , he will also launch his own label, Thelonious Records, open his father's archives, continue in his capacity as chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute, and proceed with his work on a Broadway play. T.S. Monk has been on the scene for quite some time, working ...
Continue ReadingT.S. Monk: Higher Ground
by Franz A. Matzner
T.S. Monk's new album Higher Ground serves up a decidedly challenging musical concoction. With this release, Monk has not only solidified a highly personal sound, he has done something rare and infinitely appealing: he has created idiosyncratic, confounding music. Released in conjunction with the founding of Thelonious Records, and coinciding with the long awaited opening of the Thelonious Monk Archives, Higher Ground consists of nine tracks presented by the younger T.S. Monk's septet, a standing group of ...
Continue ReadingT.S. Monk: Crosstalk
by Robert Middleton
T.S. Monk's latest release, Crosstalk flirts perilously close to smooth jazz with it's drum machine fills and synthesizer washes, but make no mistake, this is masterfully performed jazz by a musician who knows exactly what he's doing. After the great critical and commercial success of “Monk on Monk," T.S. decided it was safe to finally do what he's dreamed of for years: blend elements of pop and funk with jazz to create something that was truly his own--as he says ...
Continue ReadingT. S. Monk: Monk on Monk
by Jack Bowers
A daunting task, recreating the idiosyncratic music of the legendary Thelonious Sphere Monk without lessening its power or singularity, and who better to accept the challenge than Monk’s drumming son, T.S. Monk (with a lot of help from his friends). Herein are nine of Monk’s matchless compositions, ably refashioned by T.S. and colleagues with an abundance of spirit and a scrupulous aversion to needless parody. In June, Monk on Monk was honored by journalists as “Recording of the Year” at ...
Continue ReadingT.S. Monk: Monk on Monk
by Rick Bruner
Several years ago Thelonious Sphere Monk III (AKA T.S. Monk), son of the one and only Thelonious Sphere Monk, entered the jazz scene after a stint in the pop music field. He has since released some fine albums but until now has not devoted an entire recording to the music of his legendary father. Monk on Monk explores nine of the elder Monk's compositions arranged for large ensemble by trumpeter Don Sickler.
A bevy of jazz legends gathered to assist ...
Continue ReadingSmoke Jazz Club Announces October 2025 Lineup Including A Two-week Thelonious Monk Festival With Orrin Evans, Terri Lyne Carrington, Melissa Aldana, Joe Lovano, And More
Source:
AMT Public Relations
SMOKE Jazz Club today announced its concert schedule for October 2025. The month’s capstone is a two-week Thelonious Monk Festival (Oct 8-19) celebrating the unparalleled genius of the legendary composer/pianist Thelonious Monk (born 10.10.17) with performances by some of today’s top artists including Melissa Aldana, winner of the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Other highlights this month include the return of club audience favorites Nicholas Payton, Steve Davis, and one of the greatest organ trios Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart. For the ...
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Acclaimed String Quartet ETHEL And Legendary Bassist Ron Carter Present Reflections On Monk And Bach, Zankel Hall At Carnegie Hall, March 13, 2025
Source:
AMT Public Relations
World premiere performance of MONK SUITE — compositions and arrangements for string quartet and bass featuring the music of Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and J. S. Bach String quartet ETHEL ’s Carnegie Hall debut The “avatar of ‘post-classical’ music—the virtuosic string quartet ETHEL (The New Yorker)” and legendary bassist Ron Carter join forces for an unforgettable classical-jazz mashup performance at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.Centered on the music from Monk Suite: Kronos ...
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Announcing Smoke Jazz Club’s October Line-up Including A Special Tribute To Monk, Smoke Sessions Records Album Release Celebration By Peter Bernstein, And More
Source:
AMT Public Relations
Entering its second quarter century as committed as ever to pure jazz (All About Jazz),” SMOKE Jazz Club continues its 25th anniversary season with a month of both legendary artists and young jazz luminaries. October begins with the award-winning David Weiss Sextet (Oct 2) celebrating the release of Auteur, its first album in a decade. Peter Bernstein convenes a remarkable all-star quartet featuring legendary drummer Al Foster to celebrate the release of his stunning album Better Angels on the club’s ...
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Chromatic Harmonica Virtuoso Randy Weinstein Explores Seven Of Monk’s Enduring Favorites On 'HarmoniMonk'
Source:
Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services
Randy Weinstein is a veteran musician who has mastered both the chromatic and diatonic harmonicas, performing jazz, blues and other styles of music in his career. When the COVID epidemic hit, Weinstein used his free time to become expert at recording techniques, and to dedicate himself to recording Thelonious Monk compositions, but in his own way. For HarmoniMonk, Weinstein performs fresh and memorable renditions of seven of Monk’s pieces, creating inventive arrangements that cast a new light on the vintage ...
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Thelonious Monk in Paris, 1969
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On December 15, 1969, pianist Thelonious Monk was in Paris on tour with Charlie Rouse (ts) Nate Hygelund (b) and Austin “Paris" Wright (d), with Philly Joe Jones (d) playing on Nutty and Blue Monk. Hygelund was still a student at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. And Wright was only 17. Monk had asked his father, bassist Herman Wright, if he could take his son along on the road. Nine months ago, the complete broadcast of the quartet ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Thelonious Monk
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Thelonious Monk's birthday today!
With the arrival Thelonious Sphere Monk, modern music— let alone modern culture—simply hasn’t been the same. Recognized as one of the most inventive pianists of any musical genre, Monk achieved a startlingly original sound that even his most devoted followers have been unable to successfully imitate. His musical vision was both ahead of its time and deeply rooted in tradition, spanning the entire history of the music from the “stride” masters ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Thelonious Monk
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Thelonious Monk's birthday today!
With the arrival Thelonious Sphere Monk, modern music— let alone modern culture—simply hasn’t been the same. Recognized as one of the most inventive pianists of any musical genre, Monk achieved a startlingly original sound that even his most devoted followers have been unable to successfully imitate. His musical vision was both ahead of its time and deeply rooted in tradition, spanning the entire history of the music from the “stride” masters ...
read more
T.S. Monk To Headline 29th Annual New Haven Jazz Festival, August 11
Source:
Carolyn McClair Public Relations
T.S. Monk Headlines the 29th Annual New Haven Jazz Festival Saturday, August 11, 4:30 – 9:00 pm, at New Haven Green Festival Is Highlight of Jazz Week, A Series of Live Performances at New Haven Bars and Restaurants, August 8-12 NEW HAVEN, CT: – Jazz Haven, in cooperation with the City of New Haven's Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, has expanded the annual celebration of jazz in New Haven to present Jazz Week, a five-day series of live performances ...
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T.S. Monk: Drummer and Son of Late Jazz Great Carves His Own Musical Path
Source:
Michael Ricci
Theres a simple but often forgotten message that drummer T.S. Monk, son of legendary jazz artist Thelonious Monk, will be spreading to students when he comes to Northeast Ohio to participate in the Lakeland Jazz Festival, which takes place Thursday through Saturday at the Lakeland Performing Arts Center at the college in Kirtland. “Play your own stuff," said Monk, calling from Orange, N.J. “You are not supposed to have the sound of the same person next to you. This is ...
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T.S. Monk Sextet and Mingus Big Band Pay Tribute to Iconic Jazz Masters John Coltrane and Charles Mingus at the Kimmel Center as Part of the Mellon Jazz Fridays Series February 22
Source:
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
"[T.S. Monk is]...a first-rate drummer, unquenchably driving, and of the few who can keep the pulse swinging." --Variety
“[Mingus Big Band] is digging into the repertoire of Charles Mingus...capturing the best parts of the Mingus legacy: the muscle, the affection for history, the willingness to take chances, the guts and soulfulness."--The New York Times
T.S. Monk Sextet and the Mingus Big Band join the stage to celebrate the legacies of iconic jazz masters John Coltrane and Charles Mingus at the ...
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