About this Event
On Thursday, November 13th , the Michael Adkins Quartet at Monkfish will bring together four musicians who span the landscape of contemporary jazz, honor its traditions, and engage its creative mandate: improvisation that springboards standards and innovation to new audiences.
Personnel:
Michael Adkins, tenor sax
Kenny Werner, piano
John Lockwood, bass
Luther Gray, drums
NOTE:
Immerse yourself in the cozy atmosphere of the Jazz Baroness Room at The Mad Monkfish, where you can sip your favorite drink, savor sushi or Thai cuisine, and enjoy the mesmerizing sounds of a remarkable jazz ensemble. Whether you're a seasoned jazz aficionado or simply seeking a delightful night out, this event promises to be a treat for your senses. To keep this vibrant jazz scene alive, we require a minimum spend of $25 per person, since all ticket proceeds go directly to the musicians. If a guest spends less than $25, the difference will be added to the check—this small gesture helps us keep the restaurant running and the music flowing. We’re grateful for your support—it’s what keeps the spirit of live jazz alive here at The Mad Monkfish.
Our full bar and food menus are available to complement the musical experience, so indulge in our renowned cuisine while supporting live jazz at The Mad Monkfish. Together, we can keep the music playing!
BIO:
Saxophonist Michael Adkins grew up listening to Detroit’s burgeoning music scene. A teenager
smitten on his first trip to New York by its musicians’ jazz artistry, New York unsurprisingly
keeps calling him back. Nat Hentoff, Boston’s contribution to 20 th century Village journalism, at
hearing a studio recording of Adkins’ original trio release, Infotation, observed: "This is real
music." Two more original recordings (HatHut), each featuring Paul Motian, soon followed.
Rotator earned recognition from the UK’s Wire Magazine for ‘Jazz and Improv Album of the
Year’; Chris May (AAJ) called it "a gigantic album from an extraordinary 'new' tenor
saxophonist” who “seems to have sprung fully formed from whatever mould they make great
tenor players in” and “absolutely essential listening for anyone who loves tenor saxophone.”
Glenn Astarita (JazzReview) remarked that the saxophonist’s "deep and penetrating tenor
lines…provide a near flawless vehicle for group-centric improvisation." Writing on the third
recording’s release, Jakob Baekgaard (AAJ) added, “Flaneur shows up as a gift out of
nowhere…” Adkins continues to perform and record with leading musicians – some well and
some little known – raising the stakes of sound through a remarkably bold sharing of musical
space and authority within the unique potential of jazz improvisation.
Joining the Michael Adkins Quartet on November 13 th is Kenny Werner, one of jazz’ premier
pianists. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Long Island, a precocious young performer on New York
stages, and a classical piano major at Manhattan School of Music – Werner’s love of
improvisation would ultimately draw him, first, to Boston and Berklee, and thence to Brazil, for
studies with Madame Chaloff and Joao Assis Brasil, respectively. Werner’s nearly 50 original
releases, as many or more recordings as a sideman, his ground-breaking “Effortless Mastery” and
dedication to teaching and mentoring young musicians – not to mention a Guggenheim
fellowship for “No Beginning, No End” (2010), a musical exploration of movements from one
lifetime to another by this ‘once a New Yorker’ musical wanderer – all speak for themselves as
to Werner’s ongoing contributions to jazz. A generous contributor to the spirit of live musical
discovery nourished at the Mad Monkfish, Werner will lend his sophisticated harmonic concepts
and fearless improvisational spirit to Quartet explorations.
Bassist John Lockwood, one of the most in-demand musicians on national and international jazz
stages, is also one of Boston’s most rooted contributors to the ongoing exploration of creative jazz.
Lockwood’s presence in performance conveys a command and virtuosity anchored in musical
faith, simultaneously steadying and liberating creative expression. Lockwood’s eloquence on his
instrument, which will be showcased by the Quartet, bypasses the usual assortment of external
claims – Mixed Media Promotions, for example, states simply (and accurately), “An omnipresence
on the Boston Jazz scene.” Perhaps we could consider the words of his compatriot expatriate, the
late novelist Bessie Head, from A Question of Power (1974): “It seemed incidental that he was
African. So vast had his inner perceptions grown that he preferred an identification with mankind
to an identification with a particular environment. And yet, as an African, he seemed to have made
one of the most perfect statements: ‘I am just anyone’. His soul was a jigsaw, one more piece being
put into place.” Not bad for a consummate improvisor who plays his set and heads out to play the
next one. But the quote actually ascribed to Lockwood? – “I want the students out there working
and playing actively, the sooner the better. If they have problems, they can always come back to
me with them.” In short, for the word on John Lockwood, begin with his music. You won’t be
sorry.
Drummer Luther Gray will propel the Quartet into a dynamic exploration of the boundaries
between form and inspiration. His dynamic solos – always filled with surprise and expressing the
unexpected – build from a versatility showcased on back-to-back stages with punk/indy rockers,
jazz legends, and free and modern jazz innovators. Born in New Orleans, Gray moved as a
teenager to Washington, D.C. where he began on drums in punk rock bands. He then moved to
Miami, studying with Steve Bagby at the University of Miami and performing with Ira Sullivan,
Don Payne, and Tony Castellano. Upon returning to Washington, D.C., he was mentored by
legendary DC jazz drummer, Mickey Newman, and backed local gigs, tours, and recordings for
musicians in wide-ranging array of genres. After much time (and money) spent with recordings
of free jazz, avant garde European classical, and improvised music, however, Gray moved to
Boston, where he began playing with jazz innovators Jerry Bergonzi, Phil Grenadier, and George
Garzone. Alongside performing at festivals and concerts all over the world with musicians from
a range of genres – Anthony Braxton, Ken Vandermark, Henry Grimes, Nate Wooley, Joe
Lovano, Taylor Ho Bynum, Cameron Brown, William Parker, Bill Pierce, Mat Maneri, and many
others – and recording for such labels as AUM Fidelity, ESP, HatHut, NotTwo, Clean Feed,
Rogue Art, Tiger Style, Xeng, Atavistic, Relative Pitch, Driff, Simple Machines, Touch n Go,
and Numero, Gray has continued to lead his own bands – the Luther Gray Drums and Horns trio,
The LG Trio, The Luther Gray Quartet, and Lawnmower – and is a member of Boston’s
legendary “The Fully Celebrated Orchestra.”
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Mad Monkfish, 524 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, United States
USD 12.51
