Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble: Monk Dreams, Hallucinations and Nightmares at Dizzy's Club

With music director and pianist Frank Carlberg.
As part of our annual Thelonious Monk Festival, Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble’s Monk Dreams, Hallucinations and Nightmares returns to Dizzy's with new perspectives on Monk’s music—and on large ensemble composition in general. The project, which recently earned an exceptionally rare 5-Star review in DownBeat magazine, is not intended as a formal Thelonious Monk tribute, but rather, as Carlberg describes it, as “a celebration of the beauty and vitality of his music.” Aside from ‘”Round Midnight,” Carlberg’s pieces are new compositions, not Monk arrangements, and yet Monk’s tunes are directly quoted and paraphrased throughout...

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With music director and pianist Frank Carlberg.
As part of our annual Thelonious Monk Festival, Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble’s Monk Dreams, Hallucinations and Nightmares returns to Dizzy's with new perspectives on Monk’s music—and on large ensemble composition in general. The project, which recently earned an exceptionally rare 5-Star review in DownBeat magazine, is not intended as a formal Thelonious Monk tribute, but rather, as Carlberg describes it, as “a celebration of the beauty and vitality of his music.” Aside from ‘”Round Midnight,” Carlberg’s pieces are new compositions, not Monk arrangements, and yet Monk’s tunes are directly quoted and paraphrased throughout. This affords listeners an opportunity to enjoy hints and momentary exclamations from the Monk originals they love, while at the same time experiencing something brand new—hence the utterly captivating, dreamlike quality for those familiar with Monk’s work. Artists often include such allusions, and even sometimes quotations, of masterworks from previous generations in their respective mediums, but it’s uniquely rewarding to experience it in such a direct fashion, literally hearing the inspiration and the result together as one. This is music “in the orbit of Monk… infected by, informed by, in awe of Monk.” The show’s return to Dizzy’s Club will continue to celebrate the genius of Monk while forging new paths in modern music.

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