Rising Son

"Often younger jazz musicians understand the concept of playing it differently, but they don't understand the concept of using the same words or the same building blocks," he says. "This is why you have so many young players who don't move you. And you say, 'God damn, this guy sure plays fast and he can play three million notes. Why is it that when he plays fast and three million notes, it don't do nothing for me, and when Coltrane plays fast and three million notes, I'm moved to the next dimension?' It's because Coltrane has a reason for playing three million notes; his story requires it. And the other guy, he ain't got no story."

Monk sees himself as one of the few remaining jazz musicians who studied at the feet of the masters. After playing with his father for a couple of years in the early '70s, he drifted into R&B, largely because he was disillusioned with the state of jazz, and believed there was no room for young lions trying to find their voices. He gave up drums in 1984, after two of his bandmates--Yvonne Fletcher, and his sister Barbara--both died of breast cancer within four months of each other. In 1986, he helped establish the Monk Institute of Jazz in Washington, D.C., and eventually he was persuaded to play for some of the students. It led to a feverish period of woodshedding, and a second wind for a career that he'd given up on. Maybe, on some level, his experience at the institute convinced T.S. that he had something to contribute, a philosophy to pass on, the way Archie Roach--at Thelonious' request--had passed on his wisdom to a young T.S., by giving him drum lessons.

"In the context of this music, lessons is about the hang," Monk says. "Because the hang is about learning the philosophy. Technique is calisthenics. You practice a scale long enough, you play it faster and faster.

"You have a lot of young musicians right now with enormous technique, they've got technique and facility that Bird and Coltrane didn't have, but they can't tell a story, because they don't know the philosophy. So the issue of the philosophy is really what's important, y'dig, and that's what you learn when you get to hang with a Max Roach, when you get to set up his drums and break down his drums, and sit down and talk with him."

T.S. Monk is scheduled to perform on Friday, February 27, at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. Showtime is 8 p.m.