THE MONK LIBERATION FRONT |
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Jonathan leads the expanded version of Tony Kofi's Monk Quartet known as the Monk Liberation Front. Together with composer Philip Clark and saxophonist Tony Kofi, the 14-strong Monk Liberation Front aims to celebrate the achievements of Thelonious Monk by performing his music both in the manner he intended and in innovative, contemporary ways, and by commissioning bold new work infused with Monk's ambitious spirit. The band is a coming-together of two projects: Tony Kofi, Jonathan Gee and bassist Ben Hazleton have been studying Monk intensely together for about five years; Philip Clark has been writing Monk-influenced contemporary classical music for ten years. |
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| First heard at the 2003 London Jazz Festival, the Monk Liberation Front played a 6-hour set featuring all 70 of Monk's compositions, including a new Monk-influenced composition by Philip Clark. Band members include saxophonists Tony Kofi, Ed Jones and Chris Biscoe, bassists Ben Hazleton and Jeremy Brown, and drummers Winston Clifford and James Joseph. Also appearing were Italian pianist Antonio Ciacca, Finnish trumpeter Mika Myllari and German trombonist Nils Wogrom, as well as Orphy Robinson on marimba. They appeared again in July 2004 at the Rome, Terni, and Vignola Jazz Festivals. The Tony Kofi Quartet was voted best ensemble at the 2005 Parliamentary Jazz Awards, and the quartet's recent release, All Is Know, was awarded jazz album of the year by the 2005 BBC Jazz Awards. MONK
LIBERATION FRONT @ 2007 LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL
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