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Monkin’ Around
Oscar Wilde once said, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” Jazz musicians have always known this and have always done their best to stand on the shoulders of giants. While these three musicians are in no way mediocre, they will happily afford every flattery to the great Thelonious Monk.
Here are three friends getting together to pay homage to one of the greatest jazz composers of the 20th century, Thelonious Monk.
With a wealth of experience and artistry at their fingertips, Dave O’Higgins, Luke Fowler, and Billy Pod have set out to pay their respects to the works of Thelonious Monk and to use his compositions to express themselves and display their veracious talents.
Dave O’Higgins
Dave O’Higgins now has 24 albums as a leader to his credit. His sound is highly personal and recognizable, with a clear sense of melodic development and adventure.
A popular performer with the public, with an excellent sense of pacing and presentation, he has a wide palette from Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, and Joe Henderson through to Stanley Turrentine and Michael Brecker.
O’Higgins has relentlessly pursued artistic exploration and development, always maintaining a deep respect for the tradition of the music. Now, with the spotlight on Monk, we will get to see yet another feather in Dave’s cap.
"A stunning player in the neo-bop vein, with an apparently effortless flow of coherent ideas, beautiful time, and a highly developed harmonic sense." – Jazz Guide
Luke Fowler
After spending his formative years in Perth, Western Australia, studying at WAAPA until 2005, Luke Fowler moved to the UK, where he has spent the last 18 years.
He opened an award-winning jazz venue in South London called The Junction, which soon became a hub for some of the best musicians in the UK, featuring the likes of Jim Mullen, Dave O’Higgins, and Alex Garnett, as well as younger sensations including Mark Kavuma, Emma Rawicz, and Rob Luft. The Junction was voted in The Guardian’s Top 10 Music Pubs in the UK.
After recently graduating with his Master’s in Jazz Performance at London’s acclaimed Guildhall School of Music in 2020, Luke has been busy running a series of projects across London. Inspired by Ray Brown from an early age, he has a strong sound and infectious beat. His extensive knowledge of harmony makes him an engaging and interesting bassist to listen to and perform with.
Billy Pod
After exploding onto the UK jazz scene, Billy Pod has worked with a number of leading musicians including Jim Mullen, Dave O’Higgins, Rob Luft, Vasilis Xenopoulos, and Mornington Lockett, among others.
He has recorded more than 20 albums as a sideman/co-leader and has performed at festivals and venues across Europe, the US, and Asia. In 2016, he performed at the Tribeca Performing Arts Centre in New York as a finalist in the Made In New York International Jazz Competition. In 2019, he was selected in Batterie magazine’s Top 10 New and Upcoming Drummers.
His debut album, Drums to Heal Society (2019), established him as a prominent figure among the new generation of drummers while also showcasing his skills as a composer and ensemble director. His latest album, Quintessence, was well received by press, media, and audiences during his UK and European tour in 2023.
