*2025 stock* Silkheart Records is proud to present 5 x Monk, 5 x Lacy, a striking document from one of the most visionary voices in modern jazz, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy. This album is both a heartfelt homage to Thelonious Monk, one of Lacy’s lifelong inspirations, and an intimate showcase of his own groundbreaking compositional language.
Widely celebrated for bringing the soprano saxophone into contemporary jazz with a fierce individuality, Lacy distinguished himself not only as one of Monk’s greatest interpreters but also as a composer with a singular voice. On 5 x Monk, 5 x Lacy, he balances these two worlds with clarity and conviction: five compositions by Monk, rendered with characteristic wit and angular lyricism, alongside five original pieces that continue and expand the Monkian spirit through Lacy’s inventiveness.
The music pulses with tension and release, dissonance and playfulness, silence and density. Lacy’s performances here show the soprano saxophone as a vehicle for boundless expression—articulate, precise, and daringly free. The album’s concept creates a dialogue between master and disciple, influence and individuality, tradition and innovation. 5 x Monk, 5 x Lacy stands as a statement of deep artistic identity, reaffirming Steve Lacy’s unique place in the lineage of jazz improvisers and composers. For listeners, it offers both the recognizable brilliance of Monk’s songbook and the bold freshness of Lacy’s expanding universe.
