Event

Tony Monaco/Fareed Haque Trio

Fareed Haque has spent much of career defying expectations of what the jazz guitarist is supposed to do and sound like. Recently, Haque has been tackling one of the most iconic and enduring contexts for his instrument, collaborating with Hammond B-3 master Tony Monaco in a hard-hitting organ combo.

Organist Tony Monaco from Columbus, Ohio, whose reserves of energy match the guitarists, studied with greats Hank Marr and Don Patterson but his greasy, rambunctious style owes serious debts to the great Jimmy Smith. His playing goes head-to-head with Joey DeFrancesco at his most extroverted.

Their first CD Furry Slippers received critical acclaim, "Haque's guitar in the opening, title track heats up a groove as potent as any track recorded by Melvin Sparks, Grant Greenor any other guitarist from the soul-jazz heydays of Prestige or Blue Note Records. Monaco's original "Boogie Blue" kicks out even hotter and tastier jam: Haque's rhythm hook stirs the funk up from the bottom and spreads it 'round the top while Monaco's turn brings to mind a picture of Sun Ra reclining in a mellow mood behind his master keyboard console. "We're trying to keep moving the tradition forward but yet keeping up with the times," Monaco explains. "So it has more of a modern-day funk rather than just swing."

All About Jazz

In the hands of Jimmy Smith, the organ could sing.
Here, Monaco again proves that he too is the sort of
high-caliber player who can coax such a response. --Downbeat Magazine

The Tony Monaco/Fareed Haque Trio has been working consistently since their meeting at The Java Jazz Fest in 2014.

The Trio has headlined many festivals including The JavaJazzfest, Detroit Jazz Fest, Chicago Jazz fest, Columbus Jazz fest, Lafayette Jazz fest, Southbend JazzFest, The Pritzger Pavillion in Millenium Park, Chicago and many others. Club appearances include such legendary venues as The Bluenote, NYC, Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC, The Greenmill, Chicago, DazzleJazz Denver, Colorado and many many more.