Devin Phillips at The Blue Monk

This was my second visit to the Blue Monk; a small basement music venue on Belmont.  Mr. Devin Phillips was holding court with his quartet of Ramsey Embick on piano, Lee Ball on bass, and drummer Jonas Oglesby.  Devin was at the top of his game (OK, when is he anywhere else?).  His tenor sax growls, whines, and bellows his interpretations of Ben Webster, Thelonius Monk and John Coltrane tunes.  By the way, Devin, "crepuscule" is the period immediately following the sunset.

Devin's play is the musical equivalent of Jim Brown on a football field; he can knock you down, dance around you, or just plain sprint away as he takes his horn through its paces.   Devin's breaks were filled in very capably by Ramsey Embick who matched Devin's intense and fluid play.  I had never heard Ramsey before but hope to hear him again soon!  The man can play.

Check out the Blue Monk; make sure you go hungry; this former North Jersey boy has deemed the Italian fare bona fide; try the spaghetti with spicy Italian sausage.

The Devin Phillips Quartet

Playing Monk at the Monk