Jazz at Lincoln Center will celebrate the centennial of genius composer and pianist Thelonious Monk with performances in Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, October 9-15, and an unprecedented Thelonious Monk Symposium, October 12–13, free and open to the public, in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio. Monk would have been 100 years old on October 10 and, in collaboration with the Monk family, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s free two-day Symposium will include a listening party featuring never-before-heard recordings of Thelonious Monk, panel discussions, and a special screening of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
The two-day Thelonious Monk Symposium starts Thursday, October 12 at 7pm, with Unheard Thelonious Monk Tapes, an exclusive listening party with panelists Robin D.G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk biographer; Zev Feldman, producer of Thelonious Monk: Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960, a limited-edition double-LP and 2xCD set; and T.S. Monk, drummer and son of the legendary jazz artist. Jazz scholar Greg Thomas will moderate the conversation. The panel will discuss recordings of unaccounted tapes, covering personnel and notes on styles.
On Friday, October 13 at 7pm, Monk scholars Feldman and Thomas will discuss the soundtrack and play selections from Roger Vadim’s 1959 film adaptation of the 18th century French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This film is Monk’s only cinematic venture; it is the only time he lent his talent for a film soundtrack. His music is also presented in a diegetic fashion. A screening of the movie will follow the panel discussion.
In addition to the public programs, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola will host seven nights dedicated to Monk’s revolutionary music, including two nights with T.S. Monk Sextet, October 10–11. The full Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola performance schedule is available online at jazz.org/dizzys.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University will offer a six-week course on Thelonious Monk starting April 2, 2018. The course, titled Monk’s Mood: The Life of Thelonious Monk, will be taught by jazz scholar Greg Thomas. Additional information and registration details can be found at academy.jazz.org/swing-university
The Thelonious Monk Symposium will take place in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio in the Irene Diamond Education Center in Frederick P. Rose Hall, the home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Frederick P. Rose Hall is located at 60th Street and Broadway.
The full Thelonious Monk Centennial celebration lineup is as follows:
FRANK CARLBERG LARGE ENSEMBLE: MONK DREAMS, HALLUCINATIONS, AND NIGHTMARES
October 9 | 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
With trumpeters and flugelhorn players Jonathan Powell, Kirk Knuffke, John Carlson, Dave Smith; trombonists Alan Ferber, Chris Washburne, Brian Drye, Max Seigel; woodwind players John O’Gallagher, Jeremy Udden, Adam Kolker, Sam Sadigursky, Brian Landrus; vocalist Christine Correa; pianist Frank Carlberg; bassist Johannes Weidenmüller; drummer Michael Sarin; and conductor JC Sanford
Monk Dreams, Hallucinations, and Nightmares is not intended as a Thelonious Monk tribute album, but rather, as composer and pianist Frank Carlberg describes it, as “a celebration of the beauty and vitality of his music.” Carlberg takes a unique approach to engaging with Monk’s iconic music; aside from ‘”Round Midnight,” all of the pieces are new compositions, not Monk arrangements, and yet Monk’s tunes are directly quoted and paraphrased throughout. This affords listeners an opportunity to enjoy hints and momentary exclamations from the Monk originals they love, while at the same time experiencing something brand new—hence the dreamlike quality for those familiar with Monk’s work. Artists often include such allusions, and even quotations, of masterworks from previous generations in their respective mediums, but it’s rewarding to experience it in such a direct fashion, literally hearing the inspiration and the musical result as one. This is music “in the orbit of Monk… infected by, informed by, in awe of Monk.”
Cover: $35
Students: $20
T.S. MONK SEXTET
October 10-11 | 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
On what would have been Thelonious Monk’s 100th birthday, we celebrate Monk’s legacy with his son, T.S Monk. Much like his father, drummer T.S. Monk has made invaluable contributions to jazz, including founding the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which has educated and helped launch the careers of some of our best musicians. T.S. first performed with his father’s group in the early 1970s, but for the last few decades he has been an excellent band leader with a reputation for highlighting obscure compositions deserving of larger audiences. We’re celebrating the Monk centennial all week at Dizzy’s, and there’s no better place to be on his 100th birthday than in the club with his son!
Cover: $35
Students: $20
JOEY DEFRANCESCO PLAYS MONK
October 12-15 | 7:30pm & 9:30pm | Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola
With organist/pianist/trumpeter Joey DeFrancesco, saxophonist Troy Roberts, and drummer Michael Ode
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Joey DeFrancesco was born in 1971, signed his first record deal at age 16, and has since recorded and performed with Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Elvin Jones, James Moody, Ray Charles, and countless more. Loved by musicians, critics, and audiences, he has won the DownBeat Critics Poll ten times and has won the Readers Poll every year since 2005! Catch his trio at Dizzy’s for a unique take on the music of Thelonious Monk—part of our weeklong celebration of Monk’s centennial.
Cover: Thurs, Fri $40 / Sat $45 / Sun $35
Students: $20
UNHEARD THELONIOUS MONK TAPES
October 12 | 7:00pm | Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio
This exclusive listening party will feature panelists Robin D.G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk biographer; Zev Feldman, producer of Thelonious Monk: Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960, a limited-edition double-LP and 2xCD set; and T.S. Monk, son of the legendary jazz artist. Jazz scholar Greg Thomas will moderate the conversation and will also teach Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Swing University course on Thelonious Monk in spring 2018. The panel will discuss recordings of unaccounted tapes, covering personnel and notes on styles.
This event is free and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is suitable for children ages 12 and older.
LES LIAISON DANGEROUSES SCREENING
October 13 | 7:00pm | Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio
Zev Feldman and Greg Thomas will discuss the soundtrack and play selections from Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This film is Monk’s only cinematic venture –the only time he lent his talent for a film soundtrack. A screening of the movie will follow the panel discussion.
This event is free and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program is suitable for children ages 12 and older.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season celebrates the organization’s 30th anniversary. Since the first downbeat of its summer concert series in 1987, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a vital part of the global cultural landscape. Jazz at Lincoln Center was established as an independent non-profit organization in 1996; opened Frederick P. Rose Hall, the “House of Swing”, in 2004, making it the world’s first venue designed specifically for jazz; and launched Blue Engine Records in 2014 to share its vast archive of recordings. Over the past three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has become an important advocate for jazz, culture, and arts education globally, reaching an audience of nearly 2 million people of all ages and experiences through concerts, webcasting, musical instruction, and distribution of music scores—the vast majority of which is free of charge. To date, Jazz at Lincoln Center has produced more than 1,200 original concerts in the New York City area, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra having performed in over 446 cities in 41 countries on five continents. This milestone season reflects on 30 years of celebrating the universal language of music and the influence of jazz in the present day. Throughout the 2017–18 season, Jazz at Lincoln Center will bring together a wide array of events, projects, virtuoso musicians, composers, and educators to illustrate the collaborative nature of the art form. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2017–18 season features performances by renowned artists including Joey Alexander, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, Eliane Elias, Ellis Marsalis, Dick Hyman, Marilyn Maye, Steve Miller, and Dianne Reeves; as well as Jazz at Lincoln Center debuts by the Harlem Quartet and vocalist and songwriter Somi. The milestone season will conclude with a grand finale world premiere by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director.
For more information about Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 30th anniversary season, go to jazz.org.
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