“Beasley, the one-time keyboardist for Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis, reflects a variety of generational influences, incorporating the emphatic chordal clusters of Herbie Hancock, the rhythmic quirkiness of Monk and the lush intelligence of Art Tatum into a highly refined personal voice.”
-LA Times
"From start to finish, with an engaging Crescent City-flavored excursion en route, there’s no mistaking this session for what it is: a labor of love for Beasley and a reminder of the wonderfully malleable nature of Monk’s music when handled with care and ingenuity.”
-JazzTimes
GRAMMY®-nominated recording artist and Emmy-nominated Music Director John Beasley’s music career spans three+ decades with credits that reads like a “who’s who” list in the music, Film, TV and other entertainment worlds.
At 28, Beasley got the phone call of a lifetime from Miles Davis to join his band. While on tour with Miles, he was inspired to release his first CD, Cauldron, which was produced by Steely Dan’s Walter Becker. His Positootly! album earned a 2011 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Record. In 2012, he joined forces with two other Miles Davis alumni, Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones bassist) and the signature drummer for Michael Jacksons Billie Jean, Ndugu Chancler to form 3 Brave Souls. This triumvirate wrote, as one reviewer said, some “tangy, ass-wiggling funk.”
Long a dream, Beasley formed a 15 piece big band called MONK’estra, capturing the spirit of Monk’s unique quirkiness, offbeat accents, punchy dissonances, in fresh arrangements of Monk’s and other classic and original compositions.
Veteran jazz critic Don Heckman described Beasley’s big band and his talent as “some of the most mesmerizing big band music of recent memory …extraordinary orchestrating abilities, imaginative soloing from players.” MONK’estra has played to standing ovation at SFJazz, Walt Disney Hall, Ford Amphitheatre, Jazz Standard, LACMA. Mack Avenue has released MONK’estra Vol 1 Aug 2016 with Vol 2 due out in 2017 – Thelonious Monk’s Centennial year.
Piano: John Beasley
Bass: Christopher Thomas
Drums: Terreon Gully