Tampa Jazz Club Presents American Pianist John Beasley

Tampa Jazz Club Presents American Pianist John Beasley February 26, 2018 at USF Concert Hall

The Tampa Jazz Club presents JOHN BEASLEY, the pianist/ composer/ arranger whose MONK’estra project has received four Grammy nominations, will bring his dazzling new interpretations of Thelonious Monk’s music to USF’s Monday Night Jazz on February 26. To honor the Monk Centennial Year, Beasley will conduct the USF JAZZ ENSEMBLE in the USF Concert Hall, beginning at 7:30m. Monday Night Jazz, a monthly concert series for more than 20 years, is presented in conjunction with the USF School of Music, WUSF's All Night Jazz.

A jazz veteran who was the pianist for both Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard in his early years, John Beasley has been Music Director for world tours by Steely Dan, Queen Latifah, and others. Based in Hollywood, he has extensive experience working on major film soundtracks, and as arranger for television, from ‘American Idol’ to ‘The Kennedy Center Honors.’  Beasley has also directed the International Jazz Day global concerts presented by UNESCO since their inception, from venues in Paris, Istanbul, Osaka, Havana, and The White House.

As the world paid tribute in the past year to the centennial of the birth of Thelonious Monk, Beasley’s visionary arrangements of Monk’s music became a sensation in the jazz world. The two MONK’estra albums shine a new light on Monk’s singular sound, with contemporary harmonies, unstoppable grooves, and a real sense of fun.


The 18-piece USF JAZZ ENSEMBLE gave listeners an unforgettable treat at November’s Monday Night Jazz, playing under the direction of composer John Clayton. Don’t miss their collaboration with JOHN BEASLEY and his bold explorations of Monk – described by the International Review of Music as ‘some of the most mesmerizing big band music of recent memory.’