Thelonious Sphere Monk lll

Son of Monk • Educator + Bandleader of the TS Monk Sextet/Big Band

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Bon Bon Vie, Baby! Thanks Sandra + Janelle. 1540 Broadway! TCOG :)

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Happy Father’s Day 2020! This year I can’t stop thinking about Police Brutality and blk families. Full video on IG - #theloniousmonk

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

I can’t wait to spend Father’s Day with my children!

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Mayor Jacob Frey: Justice for George Floyd - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/x5N5y14mtk via @Change

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Bravo to the likes of #TheloniousMonk , Armstrong, Ellington, Davis, Fitzgerald, Coltrane, Holiday and a host of others who’s music is played and studied world wide decades after their passing. #Jazz is the musical manifestation of the American ideal.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

The electric guitar, the saxophone, the modern trap drum set, and the electric piano - were all made popular first, in #Jazz. The vocal impacts have been myriad and sweeping. It’s even influenced it’s original parent, The Blues.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Examples: intellectually, in terms of things like syncopation, harmony, + melody too. Actual musical theory. Or in terms of the ultimate popular use of many of today’s musical instruments themselves.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

... There surely are. But the inter-generational pursuit of the Jazz genre as a fulltime musical endeavor by subsequent generations is rather remarkable. #Jazz has been the continuous cauldron of creativity, from which all genres since have taken ground-breaking ideas.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

There is an organic, human element associated with freedom of thought and individual expression that every generation can relate to. That’s not to say there are not great artists from other genres that are fondly remembered...

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Other genres: American Classical, Dixie, Ragtime, Boogie Woogie, Honkytonk, Doo Wop + more are gone for the most part. Most 20th century genres have died with the generation they are attached to, but not #Jazz!

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

#Jazz has survived during the popularity waves of R&B, Rock & Roll, Disco, House, Hip Hop, and will survive whatever comes next.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

#Jazz is the one genre that has survived World War I, World War II, The Korean War, and Vietnam. It survived the cultural upheavals of the civil rights movement of the 60’s.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Grand Master Musician and pianist #TheloniousMonk, II once said, “Always Know”. Those words are more important today than ever.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Feeling like America is a patient sitting in an ICU, but treatment is being withheld - because the surgeon is ”out to lunch”.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Be smart, Follow your heart. Enjoy Easter AT HOME.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Panic causes bad decisions. Unfortunately, many leaders are far more panicked than the folks they claim to represent.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

All trickled down to our popular genres from Jazz because #Jazz is the creative cauldron from which all genres extract new musical ideas.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Contextually speaking, think about the syncopation in R&B, the harmonic innovations of my dad - #TheloniousMonk, or the free form prose found in hip-hop music.

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

Example - many times there are global aid events for greater good, but you see limited representation from world famous jazz artists. We have to #bridgethegap

[Thelonious Sphere Monk lll @tsmonkofficial]

So why does it feel like an oversight when we (Jazz Artists) aren’t always considered to be part of the artistic community?