As Director of the Hamilton College Jazz Archive Monk has coordinated the gathering of about 250 video interviews with our greatest jazz artists. Recently Monk composed and recorded a series of new tunes inspired by and dedicated to some of these jazz greats.
The CD Jazz Life contains compositions recorded by Monk along with six respected jazz musicians: Wendell Brunious (trumpet and flugelhorn), Dennis Mackrel (drums), Jerome Richardson (alto sax), Keter Betts (bass), Bill Watrous (trombone) and Rick Montalbano (piano).
Bassist Keter Betts is in demand at festivals throughout the country and for numerous record dates. He was born in Port Chester, New York and started as a drummer, later taking up the bass in 1946. He quickly became a sought after musician and played in the rhythm sections of Cannonball Adderley, Earl Bostic, Dinah Washington and Woody Herman. He maintained a long relationship with guitarist Charlie Byrd and pianists Junior Mance and Tommy Flanagan. Keter recorded and toured with Ella Fitzgerald for over 20 years. He currently lives in Washington, D.C. where he works with young children in the Wolf Trap Program in between his road engagements. Keter recently recorded a CD as a leader entitled Bass Buddies. His playing is only rivaled by the stories he shares about life in the world of jazz.
Wendell lives in New Orleans the birthplace of jazz in America. In that tradition, he tours frequently with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a group that helps preserve the flavor of early Dixieland. His versatility is evident on this record as his flugelhorn and trumpet solos encompass a number of jazz styles but with a twist that is definitely all his own. He can also be heard at festivals and jazz parties across the country and abroad.
Multi talented Dennis Mackrel has played drums with the Count Basie Orchestra, the Slide Hampton Big Band and the Smithsonian Masterworks Orchestra. Equally comfortable in small ensembles, he was Joe Williams regular drummer until the singer recently passed away. Dennis has also arranged and composed music for numerous groups and operates Mackrel Music out of New York City.
Pianist Rick Montalbano is known throughout Central New York as a musician who can play exactly what is needed in any musical situation imaginable. He has performed with Lionel Hampton, J.R. Montrose, Phil Woods and Nick Brignola. He is in constant demand as a piano soloist, accompanist, arranger and teacher and is an adjunct faculty at three area colleges. Rick operates his own recording studio and is preparing a CD release of his own which includes a number of his original compositions. Monk's first steady gig in the Central New York area was with Rick and he considers Rick his "graduate school." Just by playing with him Monk learned a great deal about the requirements of a working musician, in other words, everything he didn't learn in college.
Jerome Richardson has been a first-call reed man on both the East and West coasts. He was born on Christmas Day in 1920 and grew up in San Francisco. He started on the saxophone at an early age and was influenced by Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. By the age of 14 he was working professionally and he added the flute to his arsenal of instruments. His Navy experience included work with alto great Marshall Royal and he joined Lionel Hampton's band in 1949. His flute solo on the Quincy Jones arrangement of "Kingfish" is often credited with being the first jazz flute recording. Jerome moved to New York in 1954 and found work with Oscar Pettiford and in various T.V. shows. He also lent his vocal talents to R & B productions at the Roxy Theater. His first album was recorded in 1958 and he's worked as a sideman with numerous jazz stars. Jerome was an original member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and a favorite of Quincy Jones, who employed his identifiable sound on the albums Walking in Space and Gula Matari. He resides in New Jersey and works in various groups in the New York area, including the Slide Hampton Big Band.
Trombonist Bill Watrous was born in Middletown, Connecticut on June 8, 1939. Early playing experience included work with local Dixieland bands and study with Herbie Nichols during his military service. Bill worked in Kai Winding's group from 1962-67 and freelanced around New York with Quincy Jones, Maynard Ferguson and as a member of the Merv Griffin Show band. He led the Manhattan Wildlife Refuge big band in the mid-70's and later moved to the west coast where he continues to perform in jazz settings and in the film studios. His prodigious technique and musicality has made him the leading trombonist of his generation and he frequently shares his expertise in educational settings across the country. His latest release is A Time For Love on the GNP Crescendo label.
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