Panamonk

This is one of the more interesting Thelonious Monk tribute albums of the 1990s. Pianist Danilo Perez does not really sound much like Monk except in a couple places on purpose, but he has clearly learned from Monk's music, particularly in his use of space and quirky dissonances. The trio performances range from respectful ballads and Latinized treatments of Monk tunes to originals that somehow fit logically into the mood of the set. Perez takes "'Round Midnight" and the two brief versions of "Monk's Mood" (which open and close the CD) unaccompanied, interacts closely with bassist Avishai Cohen on the other pieces, welcomes the haunting wordless vocal of Olga Roman to "September in Rio," and utilizes either Terri Lyne Carrington or Jeff Watts on the nine trio pieces. The music overall is adventurous, rhythmic, and quite joyful. A memorable outing by the talented Danilo Perez.