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| Monk Legacy Septet Performs at Kumble Theater An ensemble dedicated to carrying on the legacy of jazz great Thelonious Monk, Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet will perform at the Kumble Theatre for the Performing Arts at Long Island University's Brooklyn Campus. Drummer Ben Riley and arranger/trumpeter Don Sickler have taken their deep love and understanding for Monk's music and developed a new environment for exploring the genius of the man: a piano-less septet. Performance will take place on Wednesday, September 20, at noon in the Campus's Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts. It is free and open to the public. Recognized as one of the most inventive pianists of any musical genre, Monk achieved a startling original sound that even his most devoted followers have been unable to successfully imitate. His musical vision was both ahead of its time and deeply rooted in the tradition. He shares with Edward "Duke" Ellington the distinction of being one the century's greatest American composers. Riley was born in Savannah, Georgia. At the age of four his family moved to New York where, while in junior high school, he began studying with noted Harlem bandleader Cecil Scott. In the late 1950s he worked in and around New York, developing lasting relationships with Randy Weston, Mary Lou Williams, Sonny Rollins, Woody Herman, Stan Getz and Billy Taylor. The association that secured Riley's place in jazz history was his four-year stint with the legendary Monk, with whom he toured and recorded several classic albums. In 1992, he was inducted into Savannah's Coastal Jazz Hall of Fame. Sickler made his debut in 1983 on the album The Music of Kenny Dorham. He spent the next twelve years producing artists such as Freddie Redd, Larry Coryell and Cindy Blackman, and enjoyed a brief stint with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. A founding member of the T.S. Monk Sextet, Sickler has played on many albums, including Take One and Changing of the Guard. He has also served as an associate music professor and director of the University Jazz Orchestra at Columbia University. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |