When jazz meets funk and becomes best friends with hard rock and Latin soul, you get The Monk, a fusion funk band made up of five Syracuse University students.

Known for performing at local house parties, The Monk brought its soulful sounds to The Westcott Theater on Wednesday evening. They played high-energy grooves that kept the crowd dancing the entirety of the show.

The Monk started as an experimental rock trio with Charles Gilbert, Jimmy Corbett and Corey Adelman, juniors who met in the Bandier Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries in 2011. They gradually evolved into funk music, as they believed it was the most natural sound for every member of The Monk.

“It came naturally for us. We all operate a lot when we play off a groove, and funk tailors best to the groove,” said Gilbert, the bass guitarist for the band.

Adelman, The Monk’s drummer, explained further that the band’s inclination for funk came from its group dynamic, one that depended on each member building off of each other’s energy to get their best sound.

The element of improvisation plays a crucial role in The Monk’s music, both on and off of the stage, Gilbert said. He explained that their songwriting process and performing energy rely heavily on a free flow by each musician and a powerful chemistry between each band member that spontaneously improves an already impressive sound.

The original trio eventually found this chemistry when they first played with guitarist Alex Keenan and singer Gerardo Munguia.

Munguia, the band’s vocalist, had seen The Monk perform before at a house party, and said he wanted to become a member from the moment he first heard the music. He was invited — along with Keenan — to join the band after a successful jam session.

“We pretty much wrote a song that day,” said Adelman. “We were jamming on something, Gerardo came in and started jamming vocally, and that’s kind of what gave us the confidence to take him in.”

The band’s chemistry flows easily into their performance at the Westcott. As one member improvises his part, the others follow as if they could read each other’s minds. Their off-the-cuff performances are so seamless, it becomes difficult to tell whether a part was intentional or improvised.

This ability to ad-lib is what draws fans to their sound, as it brings a natural vibe that plays off of the surrounding atmosphere of the venue.

“I think they’re better offstage,” said Drew Galazzo, a senior management major. “I got to see them improv for hours non-stop last year. It’s a totally different experience seeing them onstage. I love their ability to feel the music, take that and transfer it through their instruments.”

With a crowd mostly made up of loyal fans that follow The Monk from house party to house party, the band kicked off their show at the Westcott with a fast-paced and energetic instrumental beat that lulled the crowd into a hypnotic head nod.

Corbett, the band’s saxophonist, stood in front of the band for the first few songs, playing with an energetic and lively rhythm that backed up the quick and smooth bass guitar by Gilbert. The band members looked at each other and grinned during their songs, realizing they, along with the audience, were enjoying hearing these improvised renditions for the first time.

When Munguia stepped on stage, he brought a cool demeanor to the blues instrumental The Monk had introduced. Singing with a smoothness matched only by his dance moves, Munguia’s voice added a soulful blend to the band’s performance.

They quickly kicked into an upbeat and fun rendition of Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which led into a high-energy and dynamic performance of Withers’ “Use Me,” with Munguia crooning over the band’s funky remix.

This led into “Fourth Sun,” one of The Monk’s originals from its recent LP. It had a slow, urban jazz feel from the saxophone, the bass guitar providing a tough-guy vibe, matched with smooth and soft vocals from Munguia over the city soundscape.

“It’s more about the feeling with funk. I’ve always liked the way that funk makes you feel,” Munguia said.

As the 45-minute set came to a close and the band walked off stage, their fans were shouting requests and chanting for more from The Monk.

“It’s a bittersweet moment because it might be our last time playing here,” said Keenan, who will be graduating in May, along with the Munguia.

The original three members of The Monk hope to continue playing their funky music even after Keenan and Munguia graduate, as they look forward to studying abroad together next semester in Los Angeles.

Published on April 18, 2013 at 1:00 am

Contact Alfred: alng@syr.edu

@alfredwkng