In collaboration with London's prestigious venue Cafe Oto, TDE Promotions are proud to bring you this residency for Xhosa Cole’s Free Monk project, following the launch of On A Modern Genius (Vol.1), his critically acclaimed album of nine Monk tunes. He will be exploring the wonderful and varied music of Thelonious Monk with a great band with a second saxophonist Tom Challenger, pianist Pat Thomas, bassist Josh Vadiveloo, the great American drummer Jeff Williams, and a mystery guest!

Thelonious Monk has always had a special place in Xhosa’s heart, who first connected with his music through saxophonist Sonny Rollins. “My route to connecting to him was through Rollins, both geniuses of modern music in their own rights. Masters of melodies, riffing and spontaneity, they are kings in a dynasty of improvised music. Monk has a strong legacy of being an influential mentor and teacher to countless young aspiring jazz musicians - Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Billy Higgins, Barry Harris and Johnny Griffin. This legacy lived on through his compositions. Through his recordings and study of his writing I've learnt so much about the infrastructure that holds melody and groove together, and through his improvising I'm learning about the intersection of authenticity, identity and expression.”

“A British sensation and proves that he’s here for blood with this release ... He’s got technique, talent, artistry and a burning desire that shows throughout the set.” – Downbeat

Both nights will be completely different due to their improvised nature; if you book tickets for both night 1 and 2 you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tickets. This is automatically applied at checkout, if tickets for both events are in the basket.

This concert will last approximately 2 hours.