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.
For two consecutive seasons, December 1996 and
January 1998, on ABC, jazz returned to network television after a twenty-five
year absence. Sponsored by Nissan and The
Thelonious Monk Institute, under the guidance of T.S. Monk and Tom
Carter, an historic assemblage of artists gathered for 'A Celebration
Of America's Music' hosted by Bill Cosby and featuring Natalie Cole,
Jon Secada, Tony Bennett, k.d. lang, as well as Thelonious performing
his father's signature tune, Round Midnight, with Herbie Hancock, Pat
Metheny, andNnenna Freelon. Al Jarreau, Dave Brubeck, and Aretha Franklin
have all performed for this annual special.
With "Crosstalk," Monk's most recent
release, he seemlessly bridges musical worlds, adding vocals for the
first time in more than fifteen years to his recording. His upcoming
release "Higher Ground" expands on his venture into the "smooth"
realm of jazz. Although there are very straight up jazz tunes througout
the CD, including a scat song "Mosaic" TS also goes straight
into a smooth mode with "Ladera Heights". If funky is what
you want he's got some "Funky Jazz" going on too! The album
has it all! T. S. Monk continues to display his leadership and artistry
through his recordings and live performances worldwide, on television
and in concert.
.
TS
MONK SLIDESHOW
TS
MONK DISCOGRAPHY
TS
MONK PHOTO ALBUM
TS
MONK BAND PHOTOS
TS
MONK EPROMO
LISTEN TO A
TUNE FROM TS MONK'S NEW RELEASE "HIGHER
GROUND"
LADERA HEIGHTS
ORDER
CD NOW
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