The trumpeter Dave Douglas didn’t always “get” Thelonious Monk. The melodies seemed too simple, less flashy than the licks one could learn from Coltrane. But eventually Douglas — a label owner, popular jazz podcast host, and John Zorn collaborator — learned just how much lived beneath the surface of Monk’s music. He took on several Monk tunes as part of the SFJAZZ Collective’s tribute to the composer and wrote a delightful number based on an eight-year-old’s effort to play “Blue Monk.” Monk’s catalogue is as wide-open as the music Douglas makes. “Everything is represented in there,” he says. “The more I play them, the more I learn.”
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For a decade now, tenor saxophonist JD Allen has anchored his eponymous trio, supported by drummer Rudy Royston and bassist Gregg August. Allen’s ragged, searching tone is redolent of jazz’s blues heritage, and his playing reflects his pedigree as a grandson of the Delta, a son of Detroit, and a leader of modern jazz. The New York Times praised Allen’s “fearless approach to a formidable tradition.” At Duke Performances, Allen, Royston, August, and their guests will test and stretch Monk’s music in two sets each night, fearlessly facing one of the most formidable catalogues in jazz.
305 South Dillard Street
Durham, NC 27701