Tony Monaco

Tony Monaco
Tony Monaco
Born	August 14, 1959
Origin	Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, soul
Instrument(s)	Organ, accordion, vocals
Years active	2000–present

Anthony M. Monaco (born August 14, 1959) is an American jazz organist.^[1]^[2]

Biography

Monaco played accordion from childhood and was heavily influenced by Jimmy Smith in his youth. In 1971, he switched to the organ after hearing Smith play the instrument, and later received personal mentoring from Smith. In the early 2000s, he recorded his debut album in collaboration with Joey DeFrancesco, A New Generation: Paesanos on the New B3 which reached No. 18 on Jazzweek's Top 100 for the year 2003, and began releasing material on Summit Records. ^[3] Monaco's career continued in the 2000s with frequent touring and performances with guitarist Pat Martino. Down Beat International Critics Poll placed Monaco in the top 5 jazz organists for the years 2005–2011.^[4] His most commercially successful album was East to West which reached No. 4 on Jazzweek's Top 100 for the year 2006. ^[5] Monaco is also noted for his efforts in jazz education and holds the position of Artist in Residence in Music at Hope College.^[6]

Playing style and critical reception

Monaco's work, along with several contemporaries, is associated with a minor resurgence of "Chitlin' Circuit" style jazz. ^[7]^[8]

Discography

As leader

The Monacos Are Moving Up (Blue Ash Records, 1976) with The Monaco Family
Continentale Disco (The Monacos in Europe) (Blue Ash Records, 1979) with The Monaco Family
Getting in Touch! (Light 'n Jazzy 103.9fm WBBY, 1989)
Out of Nowhere (1999) Tony Monaco Organ Trio with Joey DeFrancesco (piano/trumpet), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Byron "Wookie" Landham (drums)
Burnin' Grooves (Summit, 2001)
Master Chops 'T' (Summit, 2002)
Intimately Live at the 501 (Summit, 2002)
A New Generation: Paesanos on the New B3 (Summit, 2003) with Joey DeFrancesco
Fiery Blues (Summit, 2004)
East to West (Summit, 2006) with Bruce Forman
Live at the Orbit Room (Summit, 2008) Tony and his Toronto Trio with Ted Quinlin, Vito Rezza
Celebration: Life, Love, Music (Summit, 2012) with Joey DeFrancesco
Live at Cotton Club Japan (Mocloud, 2013) with Yosuke Onuma, Gene Jackson
New Adventures (TMHP, 2014) with Howard R. Paul, Jim Rupp
Groove: Blue (Q-Rious, 2015) with Vinny Valentino, Steve Smith
Furry Slippers (Summit, 2015)
At One (Mocloud, 2016) with Yosuke Onuma, Gene Jackson
The Definition of Insanity (Summit, 2019)
The Keys of Cool (RCP, 2019) with Richie Cole
Strollin' (Reid Hoyson Productions, 2021) with Hendrik Meurkens, Reid Hoyson, Mark Lucas
Four Brothers (Summit, 2022) with Kevin Turner, Eddie Bayard, Willie Barthell III
Over and Over (Summity, 2024) with Zakk Jones, Reggie Jackson

As sideman

Moanin' , Nancy Wright (Summit, 2009)
A Night in Jazz, Ray Mantilla (M.M.C. Produzioni s.r.l., 2010)
Undeniable: Live at Blues Alley, Pat Martino (HighNote, 2011)

References

^ "Details for musician Tony Monaco". at The Hammond Jazz Inventory
^ "Tony Monaco – Biography & History – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
^ "JazzWeek Year End 2003". Jazzweek. December 31, 2003. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
^ "Tony Monaco Interview". Jazz Erie. June 26, 2011. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
^ "JazzWeek Year End 2006". Jazzweek. December 31, 2006. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
^ "Anthony Monaco". Hope College Directory. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
^ Waltzer, Ben (December 2002). "Review: MUSIC; Bach Aside, The Organ Swings Again". The New York Times. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
^ Nathan, Dave. "Review: Artist Biography by Dave Nathan". AllAboutJazz. Retrieved November 16, 2016.