FRANK CARLBERG
Frank Carlberg has explored the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk in many contexts: as a seasoned and highly acclaimed pianist, noted for his work in duo, trio and other small groups, but also as leader and orchestrator of an adventurous large ensemble. His 2017 release Monk Dreams, Hallucinations and Nightmares was big-band Monk in all its glory, rated five stars in DownBeat and hailed as “stunning and original” by The Buffalo News. Carlberg played piano on the earlier date, which had J.C. Sanford conducting. But on the new Elegy for Thelonious, Carlberg takes up the baton and does not play, leaving that to the brilliant Leo Genovese (of Esperanza Spalding renown, effortlessly at home in mainstream and avant-garde jazz settings).
With a rich blend of winds and brass, and a solid, inventive rhythm section with bassist Kim Cass and drummer Michael Sarin, Carlberg approaches the Monk canon from his own compositional standpoint, borrowing or transforming what he calls melodic “cells and splinters,” re-composing or even merging different songs into new entities, with formal, improvisational and sonic results that are immediately gripping.
“Thelonious Monk remains as vital and relevant as ever,” says Carlberg, “and we are very happy to share this offering inspired by the Master and created through our personal prism. Monk’s way opened up the way for so many others, not through imitation but through inspiration. With Elegy for Thelonious I want to celebrate the profound impact he has had on me personally as well as on so many others.”
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2024/02/24 ALL ABOUT JAZZ | LINK