Ms. Raina

Gregory Lewis: Organ Monk Sings

by Pierre Giroux
March 20, 2026

There have been many tributes to Thelonious Monk, but few have truly captured his world as theatre. Organ Monk Sings does just that. Designed as a sonic play in four acts, complete with an overture, scenes, interludes, and a closing tableau, the album approaches Monk's Songbook not as a mere repertoire but as dramatic literature. Over eighteen compositions, organist Gregory Lewis and his cast, which includes tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon, drummer Nasheet Waits, and vocalist Ms. Raina, shift effortlessly from ...