Frank Carlberg & OURBIGBAND: Monk Dreams, Hallucinations, & Nightmares

Monk Dreams, Hallucinations, & Nightmares, the new large ensemble project from Frank Carlberg, draws its inspiration from the luminous work of Thelonious Monk. The pieces generate their shapes from splinters, cells and feelings found in and around Monk’s music, as well as from his verbal utterances, advice and cryptic observations. The record is not a tribute album, but rather a meditation on the profundity of Monk and a celebration of his immeasurable influence. 

The Helsinki-born, NYC-based pianist and composer Frank Carlberg has become well-known to Maine audiences over the last few decades through regular performances in Portland, collaborations with beloved drummer Steve Grover, and his long-running relationship with the Maine Jazz Camp. Beyond his work in Maine, he has mantained a deep and varied performance career in NYC, collaborated with jazz legends, Steve Lacy, Bob Brookmeyer, and Kenny Wheeler, and holds faculty positions at Berklee School of Music and New England Conservatory. 

Hailing from the small stretch of coastline where New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts meet, OURBIGBAND is an amalgamation of the region’s finest musical talent. Whether performing well-aged classics or original compositions, the 17-piece outfit delivers a fresh and incisive sound. Teeming with improvisers, composers, diverse talents and tastes, OURBIGBAND is not your granddaddy’s big band. 

This performance is co-presented by the Portland Conservatory of Music’s Dimensions in Jazz program.