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Tony Monaco

Tony Monaco began his keyboard life at age eight, on the accordion. When he was twelve, his destiny as a jazz organist was sealed when he first heard Jimmy Smith. An enthusiastic student, Tony began working in Jazz clubs as a teenager in his native Columbus, Ohio, guided by local organ gurus Hank Marr and Don Patterson. For further inspiration, he studiously absorbed the mastery of Jimmy McGriff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. All would play a role in the development of his musical palette. On Tony's sixteenth birthday, his prayers were answered. He received an encouraging phone call from Jimmy Smith, who soon became his Mentor/Teacher. Four years later, Jimmy Smith invited Tony to come play at his club in California—a peak lifetime experience for Tony.

From 1980 to 2006, Tony stood by his family businesses and married to have three daughters, while running Monaco’s Palace Italian restaurant for ten years while performing weekly in the lounge. Tony then entered the food brokerage industry peaking towards Torchbearer status with SYSCO foods. Always inspired by music, Tony then went to work as an assistant Broadcast producer for a prominent ad agency learning his production skills and playing gigs at night to continue supporting his family. After graduating from college with a B.S.B.A. from Franklin University in 1989, Tony's occupation changed again to supervisor of Monaco Concrete ( “my Father needed a good manager and my daughters were getting close to going to college!”).

Tony now enjoys and concentrates in all his musical energies flourishing completely as he pursues his passions. In April 2000, Tony met fellow jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, who offered to produce a debut CD for him. This collaboration resulted in the critically acclaimed "Burnin Grooves”. The international success of the recording served as the catalyst for regional and national tours.This success was followed by two more releases for Summit Records that received critical acclaim and significant sales, charting in the Jazzweek Top 10. In September 2003, Summit Records released "A New Generation”, a unique recording featuring both Tony's and Joey DeFrancesco's Trios. They recorded the project using two "Hammond-Suzuki New B3's" as Tony was awarded a major endorsement role with Hammond and Suzuki. As Tony’s reputation has grown, he has been blessed to play with some of greatest musicians in jazz, including Mel Lewis, Lewis Nash, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, Sonny Fortune, Jon Faddis, Adam Nussbaum, Bruce Forman, Harvey Mason, Chester Thompson (drummer) Herlin Riley, Matt Wilson, Jeff Clayton, Terrell Stafford, Eric Alexander, Late Bobby Durham, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein, Paul Bollenback, Bruce Forman, Kevin Mahogany, Victor Lewis, Pat Martino, Fareed Haque and even George Benson.

An ardent student of the organ, it's no surprise that Tony is an accomplished teacher as well. In addition to private students, classes and clinics, Tony has produced a series of instructional DVDs titled "Playing Jazz Hammond" that have quickly become indispensable for any serious student of the organ. Tony teaches Lessons online with a system he created giving lessons one on one online to anyone from anywhere around the globe!

Presently, Tony maintains a busy schedule touring, including festival appearances ,clinics and workshops I In 2007 he appeared on the cover of Keyboard Magazine. April 2012, Tony released "Celebration Life * Love * Music, a two disc set of all originals as he continues to Celebrate his Musical gifts and shares his gifts to everyone. Tony’s drive as an innovator and missionary continues to carry forward his passion for the Hammond Organ. Now Executive Producer of the Summit Records subsidiary Chicken Coup Records, he has recorded and released CDs for several undiscovered organists around the globe, and his role as educator has allowed him to spread and cultivate many new hopefuls to the art of the jazz organ.

In 2014 Tony released Furry Slippers with fellow guitarist Fareed Haque and Drummer Greg Fundis! Topping the Jazz and College charts gaining several reviews!

Tony continues his mission to raise awareness and appreciation of jazz organ and its importance in genres as diverse as traditional Gospel, RnB and Modern Jazz. He is formulating new strategies and record deals using his network through Chicken Coup Records to help himself and his peers and students advance in this ever changing music market and utilize new technologies and markets. Tony is a vital source of musical experience, knowledge and humility ready , willing and able !!! In 2017, Tony celebrated a special anniversary, celebrating 50 years as a musician! In January 2019, Tony is released his 11th Internation release "The Definition of Insanity" on his Chicken Coup Records label. He will be recording his second venture with Drummer great Steve Smith and Guitarist Vinny Valentino as Groove Blue Trio Tours Russia and Europe! Tony's looking forward to recording both new Instructional Vids as well as New Music while touring globaly!

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Tony Monaco Trio: Over and Over

Read "Over and Over" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
March 28, 2024

Tony Monaco's latest album Over and Over is a journey into the world of jazz funk propelled by the timeless Hammond B-3 organ. With Monaco at the helm and accompanied by guitarist Zakk Jones and drummer Reggie Jackson, this trio embarks on a program of seven Monaco originals that are both compelling and undeniably funky. Monaco's approach to his compositions can be exemplified by the opening track “Da Daddy." This well-formulated and realized chart smokes along ...

Album Review

Tony Monaco Trio: Over and Over

Read "Over and Over" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
March 10, 2024

B-3. The organ model resonates with jazz fans as something musically profound which fundamentally hits in the soul. Perhaps it is the Gospel and church roots or the list of greats in the jazz organ pantheon--Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Shirley Scott, et al. Now that Joey DeFrancesco has left us, there is a handful of great jazz B-3 organists still pumping jazz air--Mike LeDonne, for one, and Tony Monaco. With Over and Over, the Columbus, Ohio-based Monaco, ...

Liner Notes

Tony Monaco: The Definition of Insanity

by C. Andrew Hovan
March 19, 2023

It is often said that adversity can make or break a person. In the case of Tony Monaco, his varied life struggles have always been the catalyst in helping to bear the fruits of his many musical successes. Perhaps a fairly recent recovery from a major blockage of his widowmaker artery is the most radical example of Monaco's propensity to make lemonade when given life's proverbial lemons. Coinciding with this life-changing event was the announcement from his wife Asako that ...

Album Review

Tony Monaco: Four Brothers

Read "Four Brothers" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 10, 2022

The current state of recorded music is in flux in ways like it has never been before. Young audiences have fickle tastes and like to pick and choose tracks on streaming platforms. So the idea of an album being a complete and unique entity is a totally foreign idea to many listeners under 30. Nonetheless, the album concept has been integral to jazz listeners from the debut of the long playing record. Imagine the jazz lexicon without Miles Davis' Kind ...

Album Review

Tony Monaco - Hendrik Meurkens - Reid Hoyson - Mark Lucas: Strollin'

Read "Strollin'" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
July 9, 2021

To apprehend the essence of Strollin', listeners need look no further than this superb new album's picture-perfect name. Even when burning rubber, the four maestros in this co-op quartet leave the impression that they are simply strollin' through the changes of eleven well-chosen tunes, seldom working up a sweat as they breathe radiant life into each of them. There is no nominal leader here, nor is there a need for one when four musicians of this caliber are seated together. ...

Album Review

Monaco, Meurkens, Hoyson, Lucas: Strollin'

Read "Strollin'" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
June 23, 2021

There are albums that seem to warrant physical engagement on the part of the listener. It is that sort of a music-listener dynamic where a long joyride or easy walk while enjoying the sounds is in order. By its very title Strollin' gives it all away here. And, it's no secret: this is take- it-along-and-enjoy-it music. A highly-collaborative and very tasty effort, Strollin' has the “L and M boys" offering up seven tasty original compositions that are ...

Album Review

Tony Monaco: The Definition of Insanity

Read "The Definition of Insanity" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
February 21, 2019

The popular quote referenced in this CD's title has been attributed to many--most frequently to Albert Einstein. With this fine offering, organ virtuoso Tony Monaco steers clear of Sisyphean do-overs and delivers eleven diverse and well-performed tracks. “Cars Trucks Buses" by Phish's Page McConnell kicks the session off with a hefty, “short'nin' bread" B3 cooker. From this slick get-go, Monaco shows he's got A1 jazz chops and his colleagues are right there with him on the trip. ...

Recording

Tony Monaco: Over and Over

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 26, 2024

One of the most exciting Hammond B3 players today is Tony Monaco. He knows how to shake up the funk and turn it loose. He also brings enormous energy to his playing style, pouring it gleefully into the keyboard and pedals. And it's no wonder, since he came up mentored by the incomparable Jimmy Smith. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, he also was all over local players such as Don Patterson and Hank Marr. Tony began on the accordion at ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2023

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2022

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

One of the greatest honors in a Jazz Musician's life is to be voted in the Downbeat Magazine Critics polls and readers polls. In 2005, Tony was blessed to be a voted in both polls and in January 2006, he was also voted by Jazztimes Readers as being in the top 4! Not only is Tony proud of these wonderful accomplishments, he is once again, humbled as he realized that these ...
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Performance / Tour

Rooted in tradition, with personal, modern twists

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes
May 15, 2022

Hammond B-3 player Tony Monaco's music is rooted in a mighty tradition, but isn't stuck there. He can take the B-3 to church, and even into pioneer Jimmy Smith's “chicken shack sound" when he wants, but he is also stretching his sound into something fresh and tasty. Credit that to his own modern twists—-with a healthy dose of musical emotion on the side. That was the case on Friday, May 13, as Monaco opened a two-night Florida mini-tour at the ...
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Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2021

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2020

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2019

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

One of the greatest honors in a Jazz Musician\'s life is to be voted in the Downbeat Magazine Critics polls and readers polls. In 2005, Tony was blessed to be a voted in both polls and in January 2006, he was also voted by Jazztimes Readers as being in the top 4! Not only is Tony proud of these wonderful accomplishments, he is once again, humbled as he realized that these ...
read more

Birthday

Jazz Musician of the Day: Tony Monaco

Source: Michael Ricci
August 14, 2018

All About Jazz is celebrating Tony Monaco's birthday today!

Event

Dr. Lonnie, Monaco & Gibbs: Hope College’s Jazz Organ Summit

Source: All About Jazz
February 23, 2018

By C. Andrew Hovan The old saying goes that everything old is new again. The same can also be said for the current resurgence in the use of the Hammond organ. Although the instrument never really went out of style with jazz practitioners, a new crop of players are dedicating themselves to advancing the vernacular established by their elders. Jared Gold, Pat Bianchi, and Cory Henry, are just a few of the names that come to mind when considering those ...
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