A nine-day festival encompassing the entire output of jazz legend Thelonious Monk will take place in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on June 12-20. The festival will celebrate the centenary of the pianist and composer; he would have turned 100 on October 10, 2017.
The Birmingham Monkathon is organized by the Birmingham Conservatoire’s Jazz Department and will see all 70 of Monk’s original compositions performed at venues across the city by students, groups, soloists, and special guests. Performers will include guitarist Steve Cardenas, pianist Liam Noble, and saxophonist François Théberge.
Dr. Hans Koller, Senior Lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire, says: “Thelonious Monk is one of the 20th-century giants of music, not just of jazz. His art transcends boundaries of time, style, and aesthetics. Monk at 100 is a wonderful excuse to celebrate his status as an iconic figure of inspiration to us all.”
For more information, go to http://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/concert-diary/monkathon