Here's Teodross Avery playing the swinger 'Teo' from Harlem Stories: The Music of Thelonious Monk just out on Willie Jones III's WJ3 Records. The soprano and tenor saxophonist is making his ninth release as a leader on this album fronting two complementary quartets immersed in all things Monk. Avery says: “When I was 15 years old, I used to listen to Monk’s album, Monk’s Dream, with the volume on 10 on my dad’s huge speakers. I began to hear how important the swing rhythm was to Thelonious Monk’s music. It became clear to me that Monk wanted his complex melodies and harmonies to affect the musicians and the listeners alike with non-stop swing rhythms. This was his method. He wanted that swing beat to just permeate the sound while he delivered his unique sound on top.” 'Teo' was first titled as a tribute to the Monk (1965 released) album producer Teo Macero on which the tune appeared and of course nicely puns in this new context as an abbreviation of Teodross.