CD review: SJZ Collective – SJZ Collective Reimagines Monk 2018: Video

On the eve of the of the 30th anniversary of San Jose Jazz’s annual Summer Fest in 2019, the SJZ Collective, featuring the cream of Silicon Valley jazz musicians, is set to release its debut EP, SJZ Collective Reimagines Monk, on December 14.

The EP is a collection of new arrangements of four Thelonious Monk compositions, featuring drummer Wally Schnalle, trumpeter/flugelhorn player John L. Worley, Jr., organist Brian Ho, guitarist Hristo Vitchev, saxophonist Oscar Pangilinan and bassist Saúl Sierra – each an acclaimed bandleader in their own right. The project debuted at the San Jose Jazz Winter Fest 2018, celebrating Monk’s centennial.

The SJZ Collective is the brainchild of Schnalle, and each of its members is on the staff of San Jose Jazz Summer Jazz Camp, a two-week learning lab led by some of the region’s best teaching artists. Schnalle has been an integral faculty member of the camp for two decades and its director since 2013. Over the past year, the SJZ Collective has represented the sound of South Bay on a national level, touring the U.S., and most recently returned from their first international tour in Taiwan.

1. Green Chimneys
2. ‘Round Midnight
3. Ask Me Now
4. Blue Monk

Murray Low – piano
Oscar Pangilinan – saxophone
Saúl Sierra – bass
Wally Schnalle – drums
Mason Razavi – guitar
John L. Worley, Jr. – trumpet