New School Presents Monk @ 90 Programs

By I Oct. 4, 2007

The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York will celebrates the 90th birthday of Thelonius Monk with two concerts featuring the likes of Slide Hampton, Junior Mance, Jimmy Owens, Ben Allison and Matt Wilson.

“Monk’s influence permeates all aspects of performed and composed music from the 1940s to the present; his creativity is the foundation upon which today’s jazz artists stand,” said Martin Mueller, Executive Director of New School Jazz. The concerts are part of Jazz Presents, an annual series at The New School that showcases the work of New School Jazz faculty in collaboration with the rising stars of jazz —New School Jazz alumni and students. Jazz Presents is sponsored by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts and The Julien J. Studley Foundation.

On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the evening of Monk’s birthday, the school will present “The Monk Influence.” New School Jazz musicians and guests artists will interpret Monk’s compositions in the mainstream tradition. Faculty member Jimmy Owens leads the ensemble on trumpet and flugelhorn, with Slide Hampton on trombone, faculty member Junior Mance on piano, Kenny Davis on bass and Eric McPherson on drums. The show is at 8 p.m. at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance Space, 55 W. 13th St., 5th floor. Admission is $10, and free to students and New School faculty, staff and alumni with ID.

On Oct. 30, “The Monk Confluence” will feature the newest generation of New School Jazz faculty and friends for an evening of contemporary interpretation of Monk. New School Jazz faculty member Steve Cardenas will lead a piano-less quartet on guitar, performing familiar and less known Monk compositions with Ben Allison on bass, Matt Wilson on drums and New School Jazz student Yonatan Voltzok on trombone. The show begins at 8 p.m., and is at the same location with the same ticket fees as the Oct. 10 show.

For more information e-mail boxoffice@newschool.edu.