sean mcgowan

It takes a lot of brass to tackle the music of Thelonious Sphere Monk, the creative giant whose idiosyncratic piano playing and composing reshaped the sound and texture of modern jazz. And when the musician attempting this feat is a solo guitarist, well, that makes the challenge even more daunting.

On Sphere, fingerstyle jazz guitarist Sean McGowan proves he’s up to the task. Wielding his 2003 Custom Virtuoso Nickerson archtop, McGowan tackles 10 of Monk’s tunes, including such classics as “Blue Monk,” “Ruby, My Dear,” and “‘Round Midnight,” as well as lesser-known pieces like “North of the Sunset.”