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Excellent
jazz is being performed all around the country and not just on the
coasts. Imagine what a delightful surprise it would be to find yourself
in a small, Midwestern city like Columbus, Ohio, and walking into a
club where B3 master TONY MONACO is laying down some tasty,
bluesy grooves. Although Monaco is not as well-known as some of the
other B3 greats like Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and Shirley Scott, for
people in the know, he stands head and shoulders alongside them.
Monaco
is now releasing his thirteenth album, OVER AND OVER,
where he once again welcomes you in with his funky, melodic style on
seven original tunes. The new album follows his 2022 release Four
Brothers, which JazzWeekly called, “Rib sticking musical
delights.”
OVER
AND OVER is
an organ trio album featuring top-notch, Ohio-based jazz musicians who
know how to keep up with Monaco’s driving rhythms. Drummer REGGIE
JACKSON spent 11 years working with jazz legend Dianne Schuur as
well as a Who’s Who of jazz greats including Dr. John, Frank Foster,
Benny Golson, Arturo Sandoval, and Eddie Daniels. Guitarist,
bandleader, composer, and educator ZAKK JONES, who has toured
around the country, has played with The Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Maria
Schneider, The Coasters, Lou Marini Jr., and John Fedchock, among
others.
Monaco
began his musical journey at the age of eight, when he began studying
the accordion. His musical destiny was sealed when he was just twelve
years old and first heard Jimmy Smith. He was an enthusiastic student,
immersing himself in the music of other organ greats like Jimmy
McGriff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Charles Earland, Jack
McDuff, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. He quickly became proficient enough to
play in local jazz clubs when he was still a young teenager. On his
sixteenth birthday, Monaco received an encouraging phone call from
Jimmy Smith, who soon became his mentor and teacher. Four years later,
Smith invited Monaco to play at his club in California.
Monaco
put his music career on hold for many years because of family
obligations. He worked in his family business, Monaco’s Palace Italian
restaurant, for ten years while performing weekly in the lounge. He
also got married and had three daughters. Afterward, he worked in the
food brokerage industry and then became an assistant broadcast producer
for a prominent ad agency, where he acquired music production skills.
He mixes and masters all of his own albums. After graduating from
college with a Bachelor of Science of Business Administration degree
from Franklin University, he became a supervisor at his father’s
business, Monaco Concrete. Monaco explains, “My father needed a good
manager, and my daughters were about to attend college.” However, music
was always his first love, and Monaco continued playing gigs at night
while working to support his family.
For
the last many years, Monaco has been able to focus his energy solely on
his music career. In 2000, he met fellow jazz organist Joey
DeFrancesco, who offered to produce his debut album. That collaboration
resulted in the critically acclaimed Burnin Grooves, an
international success that began his touring career. He released
several albums on Summit Records and then began his own label, Chicken
Coup Records.
Although
Monaco has recorded his original compositions on prior albums, Over
and Over is the first project of all originals, which are all are
highly approachable and infectious. As All About Jazz said of
his 2019 release, The Definition of Insanity, “Somebody
ordered the party platter, because B3 maestro Tony Monaco is
delivering. His music is for all intents and purposes a celebration.”
There is always a memorable melody or phrase in his music that lingers
long after the music stops.
He
opens the album with “Da Daddy,” a contrafact of Stanley Turrentine’s
“Sugar.” But it would take great ears to hear any resemblance between
the tunes as Monaco spins it in an even funkier direction.
Monaco
played with Pat Martino for three years and dedicates “One for Pat” to
him. The tune features get-down blues solos by Monaco and Jones. “My
Little Rosie Girl” is a happy, upbeat tune he wrote about one of his
beloved cats.
“Over
and Over (I Want You)” has a funky, groovy feel. He came up with the
title after a relentless phone scammer kept calling him over and over.
All three musicians take solos, including Jackson who is featured on
the outro. “Ready Set Go” was inspired by Jimmy Smith, Monaco’s mentor.
The track features Jackson and Jones trading eights.
“Sail
Boat,” inspired by the Roberto Menescal favorite, “My Little Boat,” has
a Latin feel. “Uprooted” features an exciting funk groove once again
inspired by Jimmy Smith. Smith recorded the tune with a younger band
influenced by modern funk and rock, which is echoed in Monaco’s
version.
These
days, Monaco is still touring as well as playing regularly in local venues to his hometown
fans. He is also busy passing down his 56 years of musical knowledge to
a younger generation in his online classes through his very popular online subscription school as well as in-person instruction.
And he is still a dynamic, versatile musician, still making records
that are bluesy, funky, infectious, and filled with a sense of joy.
# # #
OVER
AND OVER will
be released on March 22, 2024 on Chicken Coup Records. Physical CDs
will be available via both Tony Monaco and Chicken Coup websites (links
below) and on all streaming platforms.
Online:
B3monaco.com
Summitrecords.com/genre/chicken-coup-records-2
Facebook.com/tony.monaco.399
@tonymonacohammondb3
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