Alex Ho Trio: Standards & Monk

The Alex Ho Trio play the Leonard Wolfson Auditorium at Wolfson College on Sunday 25 October, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. It's a Wolfson College Music Society presentation, and the set puts two distinct jazz traditions side by side: standards from the Great American Songbook and a selection of compositions by Thelonious Monk.

That's the core of the evening. The Great American Songbook is the foundation of the jazz repertoire — the melodies and lyrics that defined the era from the 1920s through the 40s and 50s, the kind of tunes that most jazz musicians return to again and again. Monk, by contrast, was one of the most idiosyncratic figures in the music, known for his angular melodies, surprising intervals, and a rhythmic sense that often felt like it was playing with the beat. Hearing the two together in one set gives you a good sense of where the music comes from and where Monk took it.

The trio consists of Alex Ho on piano, Rio Kai on double bass, and Maddy Coombs on saxophone. With piano, bass, and sax, they've got the classic jazz front line: the piano to hold the harmony and lead, the bass to keep the time and the low end, and the sax to carry the melody and take the solos. It's a small group, so there's plenty of room for each player to step forward.

Tickets are £15, with a reduced price of £10 for Wolfson members and students, and free for some. There's no booking required — you just pay on the door. The auditorium is at Wolfson College, Linton Road, Oxford, OX2 6UD, and the music runs from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.