News & Updates — Thelonious Monk

Happy birthday to the world's greatest soprano saxophone artist, Steven Lackritz aka Steve Lacy. Polish-American and born in NYC, Lacy played in dixieland bands before helping launch the out-jazz revolution. He played early on with Pee Wee Russell, Jimmy Rushing, Gil Evans and others before joining Cecil Taylor's group, with their first album appearing in 1956. Lacy's 1958 album Reflections was the first all-Thelonious Monk program on an album. One of the planet's deepest diggers into the catalogue of Monk, the great composer of whom Lacy used to work with in the early '60s, he went on to produce several...

Happy 4/20 birthday shout-out to the iconic Tito Puente! Best known as a Simpsons charact...haha just kidding! Among the Nuyorican musical greats, there has never been a dull moment with El Rey's brand of fiery and entertaining Latin jazz. His first notable pro gig was with Machito during WW2, before serving his own tour. After receiving medals as a "war hero" he started a nonet, The Piccadilly Boys, in '47. He led one of the great orchestras of the classic mambo era, often featuring percussion battles with Tito and top players on the scene. In 1960, his band was just...

Gerry Mulligan may be the most well-known (and perhaps most important) baritone saxophonist in jazz and beyond. His playing, arranging and compositional talents have found him work with many of the greatest jazz artists ever, as well as extensive work in orchestral settings. He started arranging for Gene Krupa in '46 before playing on the classic Miles Davis Nonet sides that became Birth Of The Cool and subsequent jobs with the group ('48-'51). 1951 saw the issue of his first album Mulligan Plays Mulligan before heading to Los Angeles to take a job with Stan Kenton. It was there that...