Monday, October 27, 2008

Jon Irabagon Wins Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition

From the NY Times Art Beat Blog:

Jon Irabagon, an alto saxophonist based in Astoria, Queens, won the 21st annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition in Los Angeles on Sunday, securing the most prestigious honor available to a young jazz musician. Finishing in second place was Tim Green, of Baltimore, Md.; Quamon Fowler, of Fort Worth, Texas, was third.

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Mr. Irabagon, who will receive $20,000 and a contract with the Concord Music Group, has one album out as a leader, “Outright!” (Innova). He can also be heard on the new release by the pugnacious post-bop group Mostly Other People Do the Killing, which will appear at Zebulon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on Saturday. (Nov 1, 2008)