Composer, band leader, and bassist Chris Mondak has considered Nashville his home since 2020. Born in Venezuela, raised in Florida and Illinois, and trained in Boston, the talented artist moved to Nashville soon after receiving his B.M. from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Cecil McBee and Dave Holland. Mondak quickly became a mainstay on the burgeoning Nashville jazz scene, making regular appearances at Rudy’s Jazz Room and several local venues. While teaching some of the area’s top young bassists at multiple area high schools, he has amassed a much time on the road, with two multi-week tours in China, and shows in Mexico, Panama, and over 20 U.S. states. His resume includes playing as a band leader, performing with the Jazz Band of America, and collaborating with the likes of Wycliffe Gordon, Dave Douglas, Wayne Escoffery, Shelly Berg, Marvin Stamm, Jesus Molina, and Jeff Hamilton.
For Blank With Colour, Chris Mondak has gathered a representation of Nashville’s top young musicians — Dan Hitchcock (sax), Jack Macklin (guitar), Ryan Brasley (drums), and Chris’s Nextgen Jazz Quartet bandmate Gabe Feldman (keys), to play live in the studio, with Chris’s brother Ryan Mondak manning the controls.
The compositions and performances on Blank With Colour offer a powerful antidote to dark times and dreary days. The recording includes two covers and eight original compositions that travel through multiple scenes, from the gritty simmering power of “Skunk Funk” to the reggae-tinged hues of “Walking in Sunshine” to the sly captivating funk of the award-winning track “Begetting” to the zestful “Wake Up” and the irrepressible closer “Everybody Knows.”
Listening to the tracks, one shares the sparkling energy felt by the musicians that day in the studio, and experiences a welcome infusion of brightness and exuberance.
The album will be available from October 6th, 2023 via Summit Records.
For further information, visit https://chrismondak.com/
Image/Artwork, courtesy of the artist, provided by Chris DiGirolamo
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