Thelonious Monk Festival Week I: Orrin Evans, Melissa Aldana, Robert Hurst & Terri Lyne Carrington

Sat, Oct 11

*PLEASE NOTE: All 7PM and 9PM shows at Smoke are Dinner Shows $25 | $30 | $40 | $45 - Wed & Thu $35 | $40 | $50 | $55 -Fri & Sun $35 | $50 | $60 | $65 - Sat Melissa Aldana – tenor saxophone Orrin Evans – piano Robert Hurst – bass Terri Lyne Carrington – drums A two-week celebration of Thelonious Monk—who was born on October 10, 1917—begins with an exhilarating quartet led by Orrin Evans and featuring saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Melissa Aldana—who in 2013 became the first woman, the first South American, and the youngest artist ever to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition—has been hailed by The Washington Post as embodying “a new sense of possibility and direction in jazz”. Pianist Orrin Evans, rooted in Philadelphia’s rich jazz tradition, has developed a style that seamlessly “bridged bop to funk and soul… but always remained firmly planted in a jazz tradition,” according to All About Jazz. With bassist Robert Hurst—longtime sideman to Diana Krall, Herbie Hancock, and Branford and Wynton Marsalis—this quartet boasts undeniable rhythmic gravitas. At the drums is NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington, winner of the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and praised by All About Jazz as a “first‑rate percussionist… at home whether backing Lenny Kravitz or spearheading a hard‑bop date.” These four leading artists bring their artistry to the enduring Monk repertoire that remains as vital and vibrant today as ever.