Dayna Stephens Swaps Sax for Bass on His Bold New Album, “Monk’D”
Dayna Stephens is a seasoned jazz musician, but his latest album, Monk’D, proves to be a brave leap in his career. The veteran saxophonist took up the double bass for the project, which celebrates the music of the enigmatic Thelonious Monk. A press release describes the album as a “stripped-down, deeply personal tribute” to the pianist/composer with the aid of Ethan Iverson, Stephen Riley, and drummer Eric McPherson.
Monk’D is his first solo record on the bass, but it’s not his first foray on the upright. In the early 2000s, he toured with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, Miss Faye Carol, Roy Hargrove, and more. His relationship to the instrument and understanding of its power inform how he runs his bands.
“When I choose a bassist for my saxophone trio or quartet, I’m choosing who will lead the band,” he says. “They control the root notes of all the harmonies, and most importantly, the feel of the pulse that everyone within earshot feels internally. That role is one I crave to be in when I get the chance.”
Stephens chose a collection of Monk’s less common compositions and arranged them with subtle meter shifts and form alterations. One track, “Just You and Me Smoking the Evidence,” combines the songs “Just You, Just Me” and “Evidence” with Stephens’ own contrafact, “Smoking Gun.”
The entire affair was tracked in just one session with minimal rehearsal. The quartet recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder studio, where Monk recorded many times, and even added to the ambiance with period details.
“Stephens used gut strings on his bass; Riley played a vintage Buescher 400 tenor saxophone (manufactured between 1941–1959); and the studio housed a piano Monk once played — not the one Iverson recorded on, but present as a source of inspiration,” a press release explains. “Of the scratches Monk left on its lid, Stephens laughs, ‘Apparently Rudy Van Gelder was not happy about that.'”
Check out the vibe on “Humph,” featuring some spirited trading between Stephens and McPhearson.
Monk’D is out now on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other streaming platforms.
Monk’D Track List:
- Brake’s Sake
- Humph
- Coming on the Hudson
- Just You and Me Smoking the Evidence
- Ugly Beauty
- Stuffy Turkey
- Hornin’ In
- Ruby My Dear
- Monk’D
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
