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T.S. Monk (a/k/a Thelonious Sphere Monk, III) is an internationally acclaimed jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, and vocalist. Lauded by critics and jazz fans alike as the true musical heir to his father, the legendary jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, T.S. Monk has paved his own path to success, inspiring a new generation of jazz enthusiasts with his innovative and infectious music. Monk began playing the drums at 15. Five years later, in 1970, Monk joined his father’s quartet and toured with him until the elder Monk retired in 1975.  In 1997, to commemorate his father’s 80th birthday, Monk released Monk on Monk, an all-star tribute to his father’s extraordinary contributions to jazz. The critically-acclaimed album received the Record of the Year Award at the first annual New York Jazz Awards, and Downbeat magazine’s prestigious 63rd Annual Reader's Poll Award.  T.S. Monk is also actively involved with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which provides scholarships and opportunities for students and is world famous for its International Jazz Competition.