T.S. MONK
Higher Ground (Thelonious/Hyena)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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It's been four years since T.S. Monk's last release, but the time hasn't been wasted. While he's been busy putting together a record company, the band's been busy writing. As a result, Higher Ground, the debut release on Thelonious Records, features five new tracks composed by members of the septet among the nine tracks. The music continues to pursue the new creative direction he outlined in the last album, incorporating world music rhythms, but fear not. Those accents are applied to music that is still deeply rooted in the hard bop style that has made the drummer and his band favorites of jazz audiences worldwide.

Among the new material, I consider Willie Williams' "Millennium Dance" a standout track, although choices are hard to make. Ray Bryant's "Cubano Chant" is another favorite, and Miles Griffith's guest vocal on Cedar Walton's "Mosaic" is nothing short of astonishing. From the Latin tinge of the Bryant number to the French Quarter feel of T.S. Monk pianist Ray Gallon's "Craw Daddy," this is a musical trip across borders and into the kind of just around the corner places you'll never find without a capable guide. Get a copy of Higher Ground and find yourself in very capable hands.

Track List:

Haristocracy * Girl Watchin' * Mosaic * Missing Line * Ladera Heights * Philly Twist * Cubano Chant * Millennium Dance

© 2003 - Shaun Dale