Laura Caviani©Andrea Canter

You can’t find Laura Caviani without finding Thelonious Monk; Monk’s compositions appear on her recordings and are frequently featured in her live performances. At a Soul Café engagement—combining the music of Monk with readings of the beat generation poets, someone asked, “Why Monk?” “Because after Ellington, Monk was the one,” she replied, and then demonstrated some of the classic Monkisms of rhythm and harmony that illustrate his eccentric, inventive approach to the keyboard. Indeed, Monk’s quirky behavior (many assumed he was truly crazy), individual style, and unique compositions were far ahead of the bop and post bop inventions that followed many years later. For a long time, only the most sophisticated jazz musicians, including Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane, appreciated his genius. Yet today, variations of Monk’s compositions are part of the standard repertoire of jazz, from straight ahead to avant garde. “A younger me found Monk's music too angular and quirky, not romantic enough, perhaps,” said Laura recently. “Now, his humor keeps me sane in this crazy world.”

Personally I have long been a fan of Monk, the gymnast of jazz composition. Working from a (usually) melodic core, he turned 4/4 into jigsaw puzzles, simultaneously elegant and quirky, translating his eccentric personality into some of the most enjoyable riffs ever written. Monk melded traditions as if they were always partners—blues, montuno, bebop, classical, gospel. Not intimidated by his genius, Laura Caviani dissects an already jagged time and, particularly when working with such partners as Linz and Hey, refashions rhythms as if Monk was on hand himself.

Laura Caviani Trio with Davis Wilson©Andrea Canter

Adam Linz©Andrea Canter

“For me,” Laura says, “the beauty of Monk's compositions are in their deceptively difficult nature. He'll set you up, then make a quick left and leave you wondering where ‘one’ is! Monk's compositions leave enough space for musicians to make their personal mark, and it's been fun interpreting his work with Adam and Phil.” And perhaps Monk appeals to Laura because she also is a highly inventive musician with a great appreciation and apparent understanding of the complexities of odd rhythms, dissonant harmonies, and the great opportunities that Monk’s music affords clever improvisers. In both her recorded work and in live performance, Monk lives not so much in her adherence to his melodies but in the spirit of her deconstructions and re-inventions. The spirit soared on Monk’s 90^th birthday here at the Artists’ Quarter.

Visit Laura Caviani’s website at www.lauracaviani.com

Video by Don Berryman