Teodross Avery - Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk (2020)

On his eighth release as a leader, Avery delivers a ten-track collection with the support of two different quartets; the bandleader is joined by pianists Anthony Wonsey and DD Jackson, bassist Corcoran Holt , drummers Willie Jones III (President of WJ3 Records) and Marvin 'Bugalu' Smith and percussionist Allakoi Peete. Harlem Stories:The Music of Thelonious Monk is less a 'tribute' to Monk than a deep study of the music -the saxophonist has a proclivity for swimming against the current, for digging deep intomusical traditions and excavating raw diamonds rather than shiny objects.