Organ Monk Trio
Arthur's Tavern57 Grove Street, New York 10014
Organ Monk Trio brings Gregory Lewis’s Hammond organ-led take on Thelonious Monk to Arthur’s Tavern. The group is billed as Lewis’s all-star trio, drawing on his long-running devotion to Monk’s compositions and the possibilities of recasting that pianist-composer’s idiosyncratic music for organ. It is a late-night set in the West Village basement room, where the club’s small stage puts the band close to the audience.
Lewis is a New York City musician who grew up in Long Island City during the soul and funk era. His father’s record collection first sparked his fascination with Monk, and he was playing professionally around New York as a teenager. At The New School, mentor Gil Coggins sent him to substitute at a job where a Hammond B3 stood in place of a piano, a pivotal turn toward the instrument. Hearing Larry Young’s version of “Monk’s Dream” clarified Lewis’s direction: interpreting Monk on organ. He has since led Organ Monk projects in trio, quartet, and quintet formats, while maintaining a prominent presence in the city’s jazz and blues scenes.
Arthur's Tavern is a basement club in the West Village where jazz, Latin, and blues are played with deep roots and modern energy. The stage is small, the room intimate, and the audience sits close to the musicians, often with a few people standing near the back. Shows start around 5 PM and go late, with some sets extending into the early hours. The club has a history of hosting top-tier performers since 2001, including regular appearances by Yuichi Hirakawa Jazz Group. It's a place where music is the center, and conversation flows naturally between the audience and the performers.