Two Bay Area Jazz Groups Make Monk Their Muse on New Releases

If modern jazz had its own Mount Rushmore, Thelonious Monk's face would be smack dab in the middle. But there's nothing set in stone about his music. More than three decades after Monk's death, musicians of all stripes continue to test their creativity with his ingenious compositions. Jazz critic Andrew Gilbert reviews two new CDs by Bay Area artists who are finding new inspiration in Monk's music: The Lost Trio and Alex Conde.