Ben Monder

A progressive stylist with an ethereal yet edgy approach, guitarist Ben Monder has been active since the mid-'80s. He gained early attention working with artists such as Jack McDuff, David Binney, and Maria Schneider, among others. His own albums, including 1997's Flux, 2000's Excavation, and 2013's Hydra, are inventive productions combining a vanguard improvisational aesthetic with ECM-styled atmospherics -- a vibrant amalgam he championed on 2015's Amorphae with Paul Motian and Andrew Cyrille. Monder was among the cast of New York jazz musicians David Bowie chose to perform on Blackstar. In 2019 the guitarist issued the double-length Day After Day. Its disc included a solo electric guitar recital of standards and a set of '60s and '70s pop tunes for trio. In 2021, Monder issued Live at the 55 Bar, performing in a bass-less trio with saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Tom Rainey.