Monk in Motian

When: Saturday, July 12, 2008 • Where: Dakota • Who: Brandon Wozniak, tenor saxophone; Zacc Harris, guitar; Park Evans, guitar; Jeremy Boettcher, bass; Pete Hennig, drums

The idea behind Monk in Motian: to interpret the music of Thelonious Monk as interpreted by drummer Paul Motian, who played briefly with Monk and in 1988 released an album called Monk in Motian.

Have we come full circle? Nothing about Monk is that easy.

Monk in Motian (the album) features Motian on drums, Bill Frisell on guitar, and Joe Lovano on saxophone, with guests Geri Allen on piano and Dewey Redman on saxophone. Monk in Motian (the group) chose to approach Monk’s music as if performed by Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, a group without a pianist.

An interesting choice given that Monk was a pianist.

It’s a late-night show at the Dakota and the crowd is good. I have enough trouble remembering the names of Monk compositions when keyboards are involved, but I hear familiar phrases. When I ask a friend, “What was that tune?” the answer is “Ask Me Now,” a “Who’s on first?” response that also happens to be the name of the tune.

The music is complex and satisfying, quirky and layered, full of Monkish twists and turns. The group works hard to play it. The person who seems to be having the most fun is Hennig at the drums.

Monk in Motian (the group) has a MySpace page with several selections (“Evidence,” “Brilliant Corners,” “Misterioso,” “Oska T”) I’m assuming were recorded at the show we saw. They’re scheduled to play the Dakota late-night series again on October 10. Let's hope that means the group is a going concern. I want to hear more.

Photo by John Whiting.

The John Raymond Project

When: Wednesday, June 25 • Where: Dakota • Who: John Raymond, trumpet and flugelhorn; Javier Santiago, piano; Jeremy Boettcher, bass; Aaron Hedenstrom, alto sax; Kevin Washington, drums



Taylor Eigsti writes about his feelings; John Raymond shares them with the audience during live performance. Introducing an original composition called “The Poor Blind Man,” Raymond explains that it’s not about a man who is physically blind and has no money, but about a man who can see and is wealthy but doesn’t see the right things, the right truths, or the right goals. It's foolish to think that wealth can make us happy, he says. It’s a bit didactic for an early-evening jazz show but the tune, a pensive ballad with Raymond on flugelhorn, backs it up and Raymond's words give you something to think about as you listen. I like it when musicians tell us something about their music, especially original works, though some people wish they would shut up and play.



I’m here after a meeting and stay for just the first set and part of the second, but it’s lively and enjoyable, a tight quintet playing solid straight-ahead jazz: Monk’s “Trinkle Trinkle,” Joe Henderson’s “Recordame,” Raymond’s original, a blues, a playful tune by Hedenstrom called “Think About It.” The Hedenstrom piece is especially interesting: slower measures followed by doubletime, slow, doubletime, slow, doubletime. I don’t think it has been recorded but I’d like to hear it again.

Hear “Poor Blind Man” and more on Raymond’s MySpace page.

Photos by John Whiting.