11/5 Mike Adkins Quartet ft. Kenny Werner, John Lockwood, Luther Gray 7pm (Mad Monkfish Concert Series)

Get tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/michael-adkins-quartet-featuring-kenny-werner-john-lockwood-luther-gray-tickets-2003425790470

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.

Mike Adkins Quartet ft. Kenny Werner, John Lockwood, Luther Gray

Mad Monkfish Concert Series

November 5, 2026

Saxophonist Michael Adkins joins jazz great Kenny Werner, bassist John Lockwood, and drummer Luther Gray for an adventurous night of jazz!

Michael Adkins Quartet

Featuring:

Michael Adkins, tenor saxophone

Kenny Werner, piano

John Lockwood, acoustic bass

Luther Gray, drums

Please join us at The Mad Monkfish as the Michael Adkins Quartet brings together four distinctive voices in contemporary jazz. Drawing upon a deep respect for the music's traditions while embracing its restless creative spirit, these musicians approach improvisation as an ongoing conversation between established forms, individual expression, and musical discovery. We welcome Mad Monkfish audiences to this unique collaboration, which draws its inspiration from a rich lineage of apprenticeships and performances with an array of musical legends, some living, some now gone. In the Quartet, their influences coalesce into something entirely new—a musical conversation that honors the past while speaking directly to the present moment.

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!

BIOS:

Saxophonist Michael Adkins grew up listening to Detroit's burgeoning music scene. A transformative first visit to New York as a teenager introduced him to the artistry and possibilities of the city's jazz musicians, establishing a musical connection that continues to draw him back. Upon hearing a studio recording of Adkins' original trio release, Infotation, the distinguished critic Nat Hentoff remarked, "This is real music." Two subsequent recordings on the Swiss label HatHut Records, each featuring legendary drummer Paul Motian, further established Adkins as a distinctive voice in contemporary jazz. His album Rotator received recognition from the UK's The Wire magazine as a Jazz and Improv Album of the Year. Chris May of All About Jazz described it as "a gigantic album from an extraordinary 'new' tenor saxophonist," calling it "absolutely essential listening for anyone who loves tenor saxophone." Glenn Astarita of JazzReview praised Adkins' "deep and penetrating tenor lines" and their contribution to group-centric improvisation. His subsequent recording, Flaneur, was described by All About Jazz writer Jakob Baekgaard as "a gift out of nowhere." Continuing to perform and record alongside leading figures in creative music, Adkins brings a distinctive perspective shaped by tradition, experimentation, and a commitment to the spontaneous possibilities of group improvisation.

Pianist Kenny Werner is widely recognized as one of contemporary jazz's foremost pianists, composers, and musical thinkers. Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, Werner began performing on New York stages at an early age before studying classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music. His pursuit of improvisational freedom eventually led him to Boston and Berklee, followed by further musical studies in Brazil with Madame Chaloff and João Assis Brasil. With nearly fifty recordings as a leader, an extensive history of collaborations as a sideman, and his influential book Effortless Mastery, Werner has made an enduring contribution to jazz performance and education. His work has also received significant recognition, including a Guggenheim Fellowship for No Beginning, No End (2010), a musical exploration of life's transitions and the continuity of human experience. A generous advocate for musical discovery, Werner brings an expansive harmonic imagination and fearless improvisational spirit to the Quartet.

Bassist John Lockwood is among the most respected and in-demand musicians on the Boston jazz scene, with a career spanning national and international stages. His playing combines extraordinary technical command with a deep musical sensibility, providing both an anchor and a catalyst for collective expression. An omnipresent presence in Boston's creative music community, Lockwood has collaborated with generations of distinguished musicians while remaining deeply committed to the development of younger artists. His approach to music reflects a rare combination of virtuosity, generosity, and an instinctive understanding of the possibilities of the moment. In the Quartet, his unmistakable sound and musical authority create an essential foundation for exploration. For those unfamiliar with his work, the best introduction to John Lockwood is his music.

Drummer Luther Gray propels the Quartet into a dynamic exploration of the relationship between form, spontaneity, and rhythmic invention. Born in New Orleans, Gray began playing drums in punk rock bands after moving to Washington, D.C. as a teenager. He later studied with Steve Bagby at the University of Miami, performing with Ira Sullivan, Don Payne, and Tony Castellano before returning to Washington, where he studied with legendary jazz drummer Mickey Newman. His subsequent move to Boston brought collaborations with leading creative musicians including Jerry Bergonzi, Phil Grenadier, and George Garzone.

Gray's musical experience spans an extraordinary range of contemporary and experimental traditions. His performance and recording collaborators include Anthony Braxton, Ken Vandermark, Henry Grimes, Joe Lovano, Taylor Ho Bynum, Cameron Brown, William Parker, Bill Pierce, and Mat Maneri. His recordings appear on such influential labels as AUM Fidelity, ESP, HatHut, NotTwo, Clean Feed, Rogue Art, and Atavistic. In addition to leading several of his own ensembles, Gray is a longtime member of Boston's legendary Fully Celebrated Orchestra. His playing brings an expansive rhythmic vocabulary, an adventurous spirit, and an unmistakable sense of surprise to the Quartet.

Get tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/michael-adkins-quartet-featuring-kenny-werner-john-lockwood-luther-gray-tickets-2003425790470