Recent music #3

Here we are…

for installment number 3 of RECENT MUSIC. If this is your first time, a little intro: this is a space where I share some music from recent performances in hopes of sharing the magic that happens from gig to gig. Not everything is perfect but it’s not supposed to be. Most recordings are made on a Zoom H4 sometimes with some other mics. Let me know if you want to get nerdy about that and I’ll certainly oblige.

Cataloging performances this year has been a huge help and a huge inspiration for me on a personal level. I have plans to do a proper recording this summer and will make sure there are ways for folks visiting this page to be involved.

Thanks, Mike

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, something I’ve only really engaged with by putting up a poster in my classroom. Every day is a day to appreciate jazz music and the elders who created it. With that in mind, I want to take this month to highlight one of my favorite composers, Thelonious Monk.

I love Monk for many reasons…too many to be specific. I’ll try to keep this brief…

For me, Monk holds the answers to lots of the mysteries and intricacies of jazz harmony and bebop. When I was in school, Monk’s music was framed as primitive and I was encouraged to look towards his white counterparts like Bill Evans for inspiration. I’ve had teachers tell me that Monk’s music “doesn’t make sense” and that he “was an ok pianist and known more for his tunes.” It wasn’t until I was out of school and studying on my own that I gained a deep appreciation for his music. I also felt that things started to “come together” for me when I started to learn Monk’s music and try to reconcile with it on the guitar. I’m inspired by guitarist Miles Okazaki and the late pianist Frank Kimbrough who recorded Monk’s entire book of music in celebration of his centennial and I hope to at least learn each of his tunes at some point in my career. I’m about halfway there as of writing this.

As a teacher, Monk is an essential part of my practice. I’ve always tried to program Monk’s music in my concerts, especially in the last few years. He has music that is complex, he has music that is catchy, and he has music that is easy to get excited about for young people. It’s a perfect balance and I’ve seen the impact it has on students firsthand. Despite some of the lessons taught to me, this music is not to be dismissed. There’s a reason why every time I’ve seen Bill Frisell, or Jason Moran, or Fred Hersch, they’ve played Monk tunes as part of their set. There’s a reason why artists dedicate whole albums to Thelonious Monk and his music.

Monk and I also share a birthday; October 10th. There’s something cosmic about sharing a birthday and even in my humble existence, I feel a little connection to his greatness.

As is customary in the world of the gigging jazz musician, first encounters often happen on the bandstand. The clips I’m sharing this month are from my last Friendly Jazz Jam at the Flying V where I played with bassist Gabriel Godoy and drummer Hugh Kline. Hugh and I have only played together 2 or 3 times and he and Gabriel met for the first time at the gig. I love the energy that happens when we’re all figuring each other out. To set the tone, I wanted to play a few Monk songs (I was sort of planning to share some Monk tunes this month). Shared here are the Monk tunes “Evidence,” “Ask Me Now,” and “Epistrophy.” I’ve also included the first tune we played of the night, a Charlie Parker blues called “Cheryl.” There are mistakes and there are moments where we’re feeling things out but there’s also magic happening. And that’s the whole point of this little adventure…