Since moving to New York City, Amanda Monaco has performed with a variety of musical groups....

Since moving to New York City, Amanda Monaco has performed with a variety of musical groups, from jazz chamber ensembles and big bands to regular appearances with her own groups at such venues as Birdland, Joe's Pub, and The Blue Note, to name a few.

Amanda's current projects includes her quartet, a jazz and improvisational music ensemble that combines free-bop sensibilities with through-composed pieces equal parts textural, adventurous, and whimsical. With alto/baritone saxophonist Michaël Attias, bassist Sean Conly, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, this quartet performs a mix of Amanda's original compositions and modern twists on classic and obscure jazz repertoire. Their debut CD, I Think I'll Keep You, was released in Japan in early 2009 by LateSet Records and will be released worldwide on October 20, 2009.

 Amanda also co-leads the quintet "Playdate" with old friends Noah Baerman (piano) and Wayne Escoffery (tenor saxophone) and new friends Henry Lugo (bass) and Vinnie Sperrazza. They can be seen performing around New York City and their debut recording will be released on Posi-Tone Records in late 2009.

Amanda is also a resident musician at Congregation B'nai Jeshurun in New York City, and appears on both of their recordings, Halailah Hazeh: The music of Pesah and Teki Yah: The High Holy Days. She is currently working on a suite of music using text from the Pirke Avot, a collection of rabbinical teachings compiled in the third century C.E., sung in Hebrew and Aramaic by Israel vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb and accompanied by Monaco on electric guitar, with Daphna Mor on recorders and nay, Sean Conly on bass, and Satoshi Takeishi on percussion.



An educator since 1990, Amanda has served on the faculty of New School University, and presently teaches at the National Guitar Workshop, on the innovative web site WorkshopLive, and at Berklee College of Music. Her book, Jazz Guitar for the Absolute Beginner (Alfred Publishing), is available worldwide.

Amanda received her M.A.from The City College of New York in 2008. In her undergraduate years, Amanda studied with Ted Dunbar, Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid and Harold Mabern. She received her B.Mus from William Paterson University.
Amanda plays a Brian Moore iGuitar and D'Addario Strings.

Tour
Sunday, May 23, 2010
7 pm, The Brecht Forum, 451 West Street, New York, NY
Ras Moshe Quartet with Ras Moshe, tenor saxophone; Shayna Dulberger, bass; Andrew Drury, drums

Tuesday, May 25, 2010
7 pm
M Bar at the Mansfield Hotel, 12 West 44th Street, New York, NY
Amanda Monaco Three with Peter Brendler, bass; Ben Cliness, drums

Saturday, June 5, 2010
7 pm
Szechuan Tokyo, 1245 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford, CT
Playdate: Kris Allen, alto saxophone; Noah Baerman, piano; Amanda Monaco, guitar; Henry Lugo, bass; Vinnie Sperrazza, drums. (860) 561-0180 (make reservations; our last show completely sold out in advance!)

Sunday, August 1 - Friday, August 6, 2010
7 pm
National Guitar Workshop, New Milford, CT
Learn jazz guitar with me at the National Guitar Workshop
http://www.amandamonaco.com/bio.html