Throughout the last half a century, there have been many Jazz artists worldwide that have revered and paid musical tributes to one of the giants of the genre, the great American pianist and composer Thelonious Monk.
Some of said tributes have been, at times, very respectful of Monk's enormous music catalogue, some other times more imaginative and creative, two aspects that Thelonious Monk would have certainly loved, given Monk's innate tendency to go totally free-form in his playing style, on lots of the pieces the American Maestro composed in his exceptional career.
One tribute to Monk's incredible artistry that will prove to be one of the most inspired ones in the last decade or so of Jazz music, it is the one due to be released on March 27th by four of the most skilled and experienced Jazz musicians in Europe, namely Richard Andersson (double bass), Rudi Mahall (clarinets), Artur Tuznik (piano) and Kasper Tom (drums), all joining forces in a hugely accomplished record called Monk & More.
Recorded at the well known Hobby Horse Records studios in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monk & More is a breathtaking display of musical ability of this quartet, where the interplay between the whole of the quartet reaches very high standards, even when each musician goes off to improvisational solo sonic paths.
The 9 compositions included into Monk & More don't all belong to the repertoire of the legendary American composer, truth to be told, but there are a few exceptions, like Lennie Tristano's masterfully interpreted version of 317 East 32nd Street or an outstandingly stylish performance of The Blessing by Ornette Coleman, for example, amongst others.
Fundamentally, though, this is an album built on Thelonious Monk's repertoire and what Mahall, Tuznik, Tom and Andersson manage to achieve sonically, it is quite remarkable, in our website's opinion, especially on pieces such as Ask Me Now, Trinkle Tinkle, Brilliant Corners and Wee See.
Exciting, inventive and played with bags of true talent and real passion, Monk & More is a record that exudes love and deep understanding and appreciation of Jazz, marrying the traditions of the genre with a more modern approach in a perfect, sonic symbiosis. A very accomplished record.
Monk & More is due to be released on 27th March 2026 and it is available to be purchased on Bandcamp
