A New View of Thelonious Monk with Dr. Lewis Porter

Dr. Porter, known worldwide as a leading jazz historian and a professional performer, will present his overview of Monk’s music. He has published very little of his vast research on Monk, so participants will benefit from his treasure trove of knowledge about the origins of Monk’s classics, drawing on rare recordings, new biographical information, and more. The topics to be discussed include an overview of Monk’s life and musical output, early recordings and best known compositions, including ‘Round Midnight. Dr. Porter will explain and demonstrate  the “secret” of playing the piano like Monk and will conclude with some thoughts about Monk the person and his legacy.
Lewis Porter, P.h.D., is a pianist and composer on over 30 albums. He has performed with Joe Lovano and Jerry Bergonzi,  and is a celebrated author, researcher, and educator. He has 7 books, the best-known being John Coltrane: His Life and Music. A long-time former music professor at Rutgers in Newark and at Tufts U, he also taught at The New School, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, William Paterson, and Brandeis, as well as guest teaching throughout the USA and Europe.