Thelonious Monk is one of the big heroes of the very jazz site that you are currently reading. And Monk's son T. S. Monk III also known as Toot has a new album soon Two Continents One Groove. A sextet live affair this Storyville release was recorded at Ginny's Supper Club on 7 May 2014 and at the Marians Jazzroom in the Swiss city of Bern on 24 April 2016.

With Toot are Willie Williams on tenor saxophone, Kenny Davis on bass, trumpeter Josh Evans, multi-reedist Patience Higgins, pianist and composer Helen Sung.

Victor Feldman and Miles Davis classic 'Seven Steps to Heaven' is streaming ahead of release and features some blistering soloing from Evans.

T. S., 72, is a drummer, bandleader and keeper of the flame, custodian of some of the greatest compositions in jazz and the enduring ever inspirational legacy of his father, his own records include Changing of the Guard (1993); Cross Talk (1999) and Higher Ground (2003). He played congas early in his career with the Cannonball Adderley drummer Louis Hayes among others and he was into disco funk as well. As for the congas he joked to us in a phone conversation four years ago ahead of a Cork jazz festival appearance how hard on the hands playing congas can be!

In terms of profile maybe the turning point in terms of international profile and sheer star power was the incredible constellation of talent who joined him for Monk on Monk the album that was released in 1997 and which opens with a tune his father namechecked him on, ‘Little Rootie Tootie.’

We also talked in that brief phone conversation about Monk drummer Frankie Dunlop as the glorious Mønk had just come out and which Frankie is on. Monk smiled: “I was very young but Frankie was a comedian, a lot of fun. He understood melody,’’ he said and mentioned how sad it was that Frankie got so sick in the last 25 years of his life. ‘‘A great loss.’’

As a youngster Toot got to know and learn from Max Roach who with his father was in on the birth of bebop itself at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem. “Max was the Messiah.’’