Mike Monford

Detroit-based alto saxophonist Mike Monford's music is rooted in the spiritual and Afro-futuristic jazz of the 1960s and influenced by the earthy rhythms of the soul and hip-hop records he discovered during his youth. Monford studied under Jackie McLean at the University of Hartford's Hartt School conservatory, then spent some time in New York where he played in bassist Bill Lee's big band and performed with pianist Marc Cary, who also appeared on Monford's 2012 debut album Perseverance. Back in Detroit, Monford played with his own group, Quintessence, and started the collective Detroit Effervescence. He toured with French Afrosoul duo Les Nubians and founded the collective Autophysiopsychic Millennium, which played at Carnegie Hall in 2022. In 2024, Monford released his second album, a live recording titled The Cloth I'm Cut From.