11/13 Michael Adkins Quartet 7pm (Mad Monkfish Concert Series)

The Mad Monkfish is happy to now offer live jazz concerts on select dates! For those who can't make it to the Jazz Baroness Room, Monkfish now streams live all of its performances on their Facebook page.

Michael Adkins Quartet Featuring Kenny Werner, John Lockwood, Luther Gray

Mad Monkfish Concert Series

November 13, 2025

7pm

Michael Adkins Quartet with Kenny Werner, John Lockwood & Luther Gray deliver bold, world-class jazz steeped in tradition and innovation.

On Thursday, November 13th , the Michael Adkins Quartet at Monkfish will bring together four musicians who span the landscape of contemporary jazz, honor its traditions, and engage its creative mandate: improvisation that springboards standards and innovation to new audiences.

Personnel:
Michael Adkins, tenor sax
Kenny Werner, piano
John Lockwood, bass
Luther Gray, drums

NOTE:

Immerse yourself in the cozy atmosphere of the Jazz Baroness Room at The Mad Monkfish, where you can sip your favorite drink, savor sushi or Thai cuisine, and enjoy the mesmerizing sounds of a remarkable jazz ensemble. Whether you're a seasoned jazz aficionado or simply seeking a delightful night out, this event promises to be a treat for your senses. To keep this vibrant jazz scene alive, we require a minimum spend of $25 per person, since all ticket proceeds go directly to the musicians. If a guest spends less than $25, the difference will be added to the check—this small gesture helps us keep the restaurant running and the music flowing. We’re grateful for your support—it’s what keeps the spirit of live jazz alive here at The Mad Monkfish.

Our full bar and food menus are available to complement the musical experience, so indulge in our renowned cuisine while supporting live jazz at The Mad Monkfish. Together, we can keep the music playing!

BIO:

Saxophonist Michael Adkins grew up listening to Detroit’s burgeoning music scene. A teenager smitten on his first trip to New York by its musicians’ jazz artistry, New York unsurprisingly keeps calling him back. Nat Hentoff, Boston’s contribution to 20 th century Village journalism, at hearing a studio recording of Adkins’ original trio release, Infotation, observed: "This is real music." Two more original recordings (HatHut), each featuring Paul Motian, soon followed. Rotator earned recognition from the UK’s Wire Magazine for ‘Jazz and Improv Album of the Year’; Chris May (AAJ) called it "a gigantic album from an extraordinary 'new' tenor saxophonist” who “seems to have sprung fully formed from whatever mould they make great tenor players in” and “absolutely essential listening for anyone who loves tenor saxophone.” Glenn Astarita (JazzReview) remarked that the saxophonist’s "deep and penetrating tenor lines…provide a near flawless vehicle for group-centric improvisation." Writing on the third recording’s release, Jakob Baekgaard (AAJ) added, “Flaneur shows up as a gift out of nowhere…” Adkins continues to perform and record with leading musicians – some well and some little known – raising the stakes of sound through a remarkably bold sharing of musical space and authority within the unique potential of jazz improvisation.

Joining the Michael Adkins Quartet on November 13 th is Kenny Werner, one of jazz’ premier pianists. Born in Brooklyn, raised in Long Island, a precocious young performer on New York stages, and a classical piano major at Manhattan School of Music – Werner’s love of improvisation would ultimately draw him, first, to Boston and Berklee, and thence to Brazil, for studies with Madame Chaloff and Joao Assis Brasil, respectively. Werner’s nearly 50 original releases, as many or more recordings as a sideman, his ground-breaking “Effortless Mastery” and dedication to teaching and mentoring young musicians – not to mention a Guggenheim fellowship for “No Beginning, No End” (2010), a musical exploration of movements from one lifetime to another by this ‘once a New Yorker’ musical wanderer – all speak for themselves as to Werner’s ongoing contributions to jazz. A generous contributor to the spirit of live musical discovery nourished at the Mad Monkfish, Werner will lend his sophisticated harmonic concepts and fearless improvisational spirit to Quartet explorations. 

Bassist John Lockwood, one of the most in-demand musicians on national and international jazz stages, is also one of Boston’s most rooted contributors to the ongoing exploration of creative jazz. Lockwood’s presence in performance conveys a command and virtuosity anchored in musical faith, simultaneously steadying and liberating creative expression. Lockwood’s eloquence on his instrument, which will be showcased by the Quartet, bypasses the usual assortment of external claims – Mixed Media Promotions, for example, states simply (and accurately), “An omnipresence on the Boston Jazz scene.” Perhaps we could consider the words of his compatriot expatriate, the late novelist Bessie Head, from A Question of Power (1974): “It seemed incidental that he was African. So vast had his inner perceptions grown that he preferred an identification with mankind to an identification with a particular environment. And yet, as an African, he seemed to have made one of the most perfect statements: ‘I am just anyone’. His soul was a jigsaw, one more piece being put into place.” Not bad for a consummate improvisor who plays his set and heads out to play the next one. But the quote actually ascribed to Lockwood? – “I want the students out there working and playing actively, the sooner the better. If they have problems, they can always come back to me with them.” In short, for the word on John Lockwood, begin with his music. You won’t be sorry.

Drummer Luther Gray will propel the Quartet into a dynamic exploration of the boundaries between form and inspiration. His dynamic solos – always filled with surprise and expressing the unexpected – build from a versatility showcased on back-to-back stages with punk/indy rockers, jazz legends, and free and modern jazz innovators. Born in New Orleans, Gray moved as a teenager to Washington, D.C. where he began on drums in punk rock bands. He then moved to Miami, studying with Steve Bagby at the University of Miami and performing with Ira Sullivan, Don Payne, and Tony Castellano. Upon returning to Washington, D.C., he was mentored by legendary DC jazz drummer, Mickey Newman, and backed local gigs, tours, and recordings for musicians in wide-ranging array of genres. After much time (and money) spent with recordings of free jazz, avant garde European classical, and improvised music, however, Gray moved to Boston, where he began playing with jazz innovators Jerry Bergonzi, Phil Grenadier, and George Garzone. Alongside performing at festivals and concerts all over the world with musicians from a range of genres – Anthony Braxton, Ken Vandermark, Henry Grimes, Nate Wooley, Joe Lovano, Taylor Ho Bynum, Cameron Brown, William Parker, Bill Pierce, Mat Maneri, and many others – and recording for such labels as AUM Fidelity, ESP, HatHut, NotTwo, Clean Feed, Rogue Art, Tiger Style, Xeng, Atavistic, Relative Pitch, Driff, Simple Machines, Touch n Go, and Numero, Gray has continued to lead his own bands – the Luther Gray Drums and Horns trio, The LG Trio, The Luther Gray Quartet, and Lawnmower – and is a member of Boston’s legendary “The Fully Celebrated Orchestra.”

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/michael-adkins-quartet-featuring-kenny-werner-john-lockwood-luther-gray-tickets-1767929477659