Joe Monk?

**Fusionshred** · 01-07-2025, 11:56 AM

Howdy!

So, I grew up on LI (still growing up here). As a kid, I took lessons from a popular local teacher named Tony Tanico. I think I spent about 2 years with him and one day he said, “well, I pretty much taught you everything I know. I think you should study with a rock teacher.” He assigned me to one of his teachers, who eventually got me interested in getting an electric guitar so I could “bend strings “. But within a year I admitted that it was a waste of my time and my parents’ money.

Tony said, “Go meet with this guy. He’s a ‘teacher’s teacher’. His name is Joe Monk. “

Joe kicked my ass. Man, there was a lot I DIDN’T know, apparently!

Studied with Joe for about a year and a half until one day I closed the car door on my finger and couldn’t play for a while. And then I went to college.

Anyone familiar with this great guy? He never wanted to do much else other than teach, which was his love.

at the time, as a 17 year old, I didn’t appreciate him enough.

There’s only one recording that I know of: Live at Club 40. Love this album! It’s a collaboration with Ray Gogarty. But (stupid question) despite the two guitars sounding different, who is who? Is Joe the darker guitar or the brighter, more acoustic sounding guitar?

Think after all these years I finally washed some of the smell of his Kools out of my clothes!

**Ol' Fret** · 01-07-2025, 12:37 PM

Joe Monk, one of those musicians' musician: About Joe Monk - Joe Monk Music

**sgcim** · 01-07-2025, 04:08 PM

I studied with Monk for about a year. I remember the first question he asked me was who was my favorite guitarist. When I told him it was Jimmy Raney, he seemed kind of puzzled, and said, "Well, I liked the group he had with Stan Getz, and the counterpoint he played against Getz' lines..."

He didn't seem thrilled with Raney back then. Fast forward to the last interview he ever gave before he died, and they asked him who he thought was the greatest jazz guitarist that ever lived.
His answer was Jimmy Raney! He said that Raney was the most "honest" of all the jazz guitarists.

I knew that he had studied with Johnny Smith for a while (one of the few guys on the East Coast who had studied with him, including the great Harry Leahey and Gene Bertoncini; although maybe there were others? The rest of them studied with him in Colorado), so I kept asking him for some Johnny Smith material, and he reluctantly wrote out the one thing that JS didn't alt. pick, a DMajor arp in 4th pos. that he swept.
Basically, we worked on only things related to Geo. Van Eps, including what he called "Inventions".
These didn't have anything to do with Bach Inventions, which I spent a semester writing in my Tonal Counterpoint class in college. These were solo guitar compositions based on the changes to standards which he would write out for me, using Van Eps techniques, and then he would leave a certain amount of measures blank, which I had to compose myself.
You can see one of his Inventions in the "arrangements" section of the website that Ole Fret linked to.
It's called "Rainbow", because it is based off the changes to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

At some point, he told me he had taught me everything he could teach me, and wrote down Jim Hall's number and told me bye bye-eeee, to quote Peter Cook and Dudley Moore...
"

**ragman1** · 01-08-2025, 06:01 AM

Monk's the first player, the duller one if you like. He's playing the spanish guitar which is why it sounds quieter with the gut strings. At least, I assume so. Also he wrote the tune so probably he would kick it off.

You'll notice the clip says 'by Joe Monk'. Actually 'Monk's Blues' is the title of a Thelonious Monk album but there's no track called that. So I think we're safe there.

Oh, and Joe and Thelonious were probably unrelated :-)

**ragman1** · 01-08-2025, 06:15 AM

sgcim -

With a background like that you must play like a dream...

**sgcim** · 01-09-2025, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

sgcim -

With a background like that you must play like a dream...

Yeah, from "Nightmare on Elm Street".
I think Joe played a 175, with a cigarette wedged in there.

**ragman1** · 01-09-2025, 11:34 PM

Well, you must have learned something! Did you ever go to Jim Hall?

**charleyrich99** · 01-10-2025, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by Fusionshred

Howdy!

So, I grew up on LI (still growing up here). As a kid, I took lessons from a popular local teacher named Tony Tanico. I think I spent about 2 years with him and one day he said, “well, I pretty much taught you everything I know. I think you should study with a rock teacher.” He assigned me to one of his teachers, who eventually got me interested in getting an electric guitar so I could “bend strings “. But within a year I admitted that it was a waste of my time and my parents’ money.

Tony said, “Go meet with this guy. He’s a ‘teacher’s teacher’. His name is Joe Monk. “

Joe kicked my ass. Man, there was a lot I DIDN’T know, apparently!

Studied with Joe for about a year and a half until one day I closed the car door on my finger and couldn’t play for a while. And then I went to college.

Anyone familiar with this great guy? He never wanted to do much else other than teach, which was his love.

at the time, as a 17 year old, I didn’t appreciate him enough.

There’s only one recording that I know of: Live at Club 40. Love this album! It’s a collaboration with Ray Gogarty. But (stupid question) despite the two guitars sounding different, who is who? Is Joe the darker guitar or the brighter, more acoustic sounding guitar?

Think after all these years I finally washed some of the smell of his Kools out of my clothes!

Yes! I studied with Joe for a few years. He was the best jazz guitar instructor I ever encountered. I still refer on occasion to my Joe Monk notebook. His arrangement of Over the Rainbow is a gem.

**GuyBoden** · 01-10-2025, 11:35 AM

In Fond Memory of Joe Monk - Inspirational Teacher and Musician

**MarkL** · 01-10-2025, 12:58 PM

I also had the good fortune to study with Joe for a few years. I still remember several of his arrangements, and sometimes snippets of them emerge when I'm soloing over standards I studied with him.

After a few years with Joe, I started studied with Billy Bauer, another incredible (and underappreciated, I think) player and teacher on Long Island at that time. Billy's method was very different from Joe's, and the combination was very valuable.

**Andy175** · 01-24-2025, 04:19 PM

On the club 40 album, Joe is the fatter sounding guitar.

**Fusionshred** · 01-25-2025, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Andy175

On the club 40 album, Joe is the fatter sounding guitar.

That’s what I thought. It’s surprising because he seems to be more prevalent at the gig although he was a sub.

**Andy175** · 01-25-2025, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Fusionshred

That’s what I thought. It’s surprising because he seems to be more prevalent at the gig although he was a sub.

Joe's influence was significant in two ways. First, Ray deeply appreciated Joe's musicianship and showcased it prominently during their performances. Additionally, we remastered this old tape as a tribute to Joe, who had never made any recordings. We learned about this particular 1962 gig recording from Ray at Joe's funeral. Subsequently, Joe Berger and I pressed 1,000 copies of this CD to ensure Joe's musical legacy would endure. Glad you liked the CD. Andy Gertler

**Fusionshred** · 01-29-2025, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Andy175

Joe's influence was significant in two ways. First, Ray deeply appreciated Joe's musicianship and showcased it prominently during their performances. Additionally, we remastered this old tape as a tribute to Joe, who had never made any recordings. We learned about this particular 1962 gig recording from Ray at Joe's funeral. Subsequently, Joe Berger and I pressed 1,000 copies of this CD to ensure Joe's musical legacy would endure. Glad you liked the CD. Andy Gertler

Andy,
Thank you for your stewardship Joe’s legacy. This is honestly probably my favorite jazz guitar CD because it captures the actual gig (clinking glasses, ringing phone and all).

i feel like I was there.

you did a masterful job.

I was such a kid when I was with Joe. How I wish I could go to his house again for a hang with him.

**charleyrich99** · 02-11-2025, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Fusionshred

Howdy!

So, I grew up on LI (still growing up here). As a kid, I took lessons from a popular local teacher named Tony Tanico. I think I spent about 2 years with him and one day he said, “well, I pretty much taught you everything I know. I think you should study with a rock teacher.” He assigned me to one of his teachers, who eventually got me interested in getting an electric guitar so I could “bend strings “. But within a year I admitted that it was a waste of my time and my parents’ money.

Tony said, “Go meet with this guy. He’s a ‘teacher’s teacher’. His name is Joe Monk. “

Joe kicked my ass. Man, there was a lot I DIDN’T know, apparently!

Studied with Joe for about a year and a half until one day I closed the car door on my finger and couldn’t play for a while. And then I went to college.

Anyone familiar with this great guy? He never wanted to do much else other than teach, which was his love.

at the time, as a 17 year old, I didn’t appreciate him enough.

There’s only one recording that I know of: Live at Club 40. Love this album! It’s a collaboration with Ray Gogarty. But (stupid question) despite the two guitars sounding different, who is who? Is Joe the darker guitar or the brighter, more acoustic sounding guitar?

Think after all these years I finally washed some of the smell of his Kools out of my clothes!

Just noticed your mention of Tony Tanico. I taught for him all through my college years. I wasn't the rock teacher. It was a much better job than working in the cafeteria. I used to drive from Stony Brook to either his studio in Massapequa or directly to the students home. Wow, brings make memories.

**Fusionshred** · 02-11-2025, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by charleyrich99

Just noticed your mention of Tony Tanico. I taught for him all through my college years. It was a much better job than working in the cafeteria. I used to drive from Stony Brook to either his studio in Massapequa or directly to the students home. Wow, brings make memories.

Cool! I wanted to teach for him but I had a baby face and he always said I looked too young lol!

my Rock teacher he gave me was Dennis Phelps. Very nice guy too.