Music directed by Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and GRAMMY®-Nominated bassist Carlos Henriquez, featuring Pedrito Martinez
Presented as part of the Ertegun Jazz Concert Series, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra bassist and musical director, Carlos Henriquez, leads the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in the world premiere of Monk con Clave in Rose Theater on Friday, May 20 at 8:00pmET and Saturday, May 21 at 8:00pmET.
This debut of new music is inspired by the syncopated melodies and rhythms of genius composer Thelonious Monk, who is recognized as one of the most inventive pianists of any musical genre. With an Afro-Latin treatment, Monk con Clave includes reinventions of Monk classics such as “Blue Monk,” “Evidence,” and “Reflections,” along with inspired new works.
Musical director Carlos Henriquez, hailing from the Bronx, is a rare virtuoso in both the jazz and Afro-Cuban traditions, and has been performing with greats like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, and Celia Cruz since the age of fourteen. The exploration of Thelonious Monk’s brilliance through clave and swing rhythms is a territory familiar to Henriquez, who in 2018 released his sophomore recording “Dizzy con Clave”, a wide-ranging masterwork dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie. In 2021, Henriquez received a GRAMMY®-nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album, honoring his knockout recording “The South Bronx Story.”
Monk con Clave will feature special guest, Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez who born in Havana, Cuba and is a consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum. He is also the world’s first-call rumbero—playing, singing, and dancing with dozens of Cuban rumba groups. Pedrito continues to push the boundaries of Afro-Cuban music while at the same time keeping his ties close to the Orisha music and rumbas he learned as a teenager.
In addition to Pedrito, Monk con Clave will also feature special guests including Michael Rodriguez (trumpet), Anthony Almonte (vocals and percussion) and Osmany Paredes (piano).
Rose Theater in Frederick P. Rose Hall is located on Broadway at 60th Street in New York, New York.
Tickets for the Monk con Clave concert are available at jazz.org/monkconclave