ReMonkability
is a quartet project with a long history that’s been reactivated in recognition of the centennial year (2017) of the birth of composer & pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk. The project gradually accumulated through occasions here & there that asked for arrangements of Monk compositions, Each presented an opportunity to compositionally run with some of the windows shining through some of Monk’s brilliantly cornered sonic constructs to find something else — not exactly what Monk would have done, but saturated in nevertheless (& extended from) Monk’s own distinctive soundlogic.
The current version of Remonkability includes:
patrick brennan — arrangements/recompositions & saxophone
Hilliard Greene — bass viol
Brian Groder — trumpet & fluegelhorn
Michael “T A” Thompson — soundrhythium
Below are excerpts from the initiatory performance of this new edition of ReMonkability for Monk’s 99th birthday, October 10, 2016, at Quinn’s in Beacon, N.Y. (& for interested musicians, accompanying links to the scores).
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CONTACT CONTACT patrickb(at)transparencykestra(dot)org
Epistrophy (excerpt)
Criss Cross (excerpt)
Straight No Chaser (excerpt)
Evidence (excerpt)
Bemsha Swing (excerpt)
Monk’s Mood (excerpt)
Played Twice (excerpt)
A note can be small as a pin
or as big as the world,
it depends on your imagination.
— Thelonious Monk
