Ben Monder

by David Adler Guitarist Ben Monder has secured his place as one of most identifiable and sought-after stylists on the progressive jazz scene, an heir to the ethereal yet edgy approach of players such as John Abercrombie and Bill Frisell. Schooled at the University of Miami and Queens College, Monder has been active as a sideman since 1984, working with Jack McDuff, Marc Johnson, David Binney, Paul Motian, Lee Konitz, Toots Thielmans, and Maria Schneider, to name a few. Recently he has recorded and performed in groups led by Drew Gress, Guillermo Klein, Reid Anderson, Bill McHenry, Patrick Zimmerli, Tim Ries, Donny McCaslin, Frank Kimbrough, singer/songwriter Jane Kelly Williams, and the Basque rock artist Ruper Ordorika. Monder released his own trio's debut, Flux, in 1995. A collaboration with vocalist Theo Bleckmann, titled No Boat, appeared a year later. Dust, Monder's second trio outing, came out in 1997, followed by Excavation in 2000.