Thelonious Monkey

Thelonious Monkey is taking Los Angeles by storm.  Focused around a set of strong original compositions by Chris Wabich and Jennifer Wabich, this Jazz Quintet quite literally rocks - fusing traditional jazz, middle eastern grooves that their drummer and leader is known for, and rock and roll.

The ensemble consists of drum set, percussion, steel drum, electric bass, keyboards, saxophones, vocals, violin and cello, which seems like too many elements for a quintet until you meet the musicians involved.

Chris Wabich leads the group as music director, arranger, composer and drummer, percussionist and steel drummer.  Currently drum set, steel band and world music director at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Chris' drumming is heard with Ludacris, Sting, Leonard Cohen, Stanley Jordan, Brian Johnson (AC/DC) Sheila E., Mark Murphy, the Zappa Family, Larry Koonse, Turkish superstar Omar Faruk, Boogsie Sharpe, Prog Rock legends Kevin Ayers (Soft Machine), Richard Sinclair (Caravan).  A few soundtracks include  "Malcolm in the Middle", "American Idol", "Better Homes and Gardens", and "Wild California" IMAX.

More recently, Chris has been arranging and producing projects including Billboard charting hits for Margo Rey/John Oates (of Hall and Oates), Ty Taylor from Vintage Trouble, and the Beatles show, "Both". Chris is currently working on a solo album, his 30th release as a leader.

He is sponsored by INNOVATIVE PERCUSSION sticks, ROLAND electronics, TURKISH cymbals, CADESON drums, and REMO drumheads

Jennifer Wabich co-leads Thelonious Monkey as keyboardist, soprano, alto saxophonist, lead vocalist, arranger and composer.  Jennifer can be heard in background vocals and keyboard tracks on the radio with Margo Rey and John Oates, backing the Pink Power Ranger herself in her musical project Elle tu Four, and kicking it old school in her own YouTube series, Girl on a Grand.  She has performed with Canadian jazz greats Neil Swainson, Phil Dwyer, Don Thompson, and Ian MacDougall and American icons such as Brian Johnson (ACDC) and Jason Paige (Pokemon Theme Song).

Lauren Baba is a composer, arranger, violinist, and violist living in Los Angeles, California. Specializing in playing and writing creative improvised music, she also works extensively in classical, folk, pop, and experimental styles. Lauren started studying jazz improvisation, composition, and arranging at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California under the direction of celebrated composer/arranger/trombonist Joey Sellers. During this time, she was the featured composer on jazz radio station 88.5 FM KSBR’s program “Spotlight” for the November 2010 Edition and received Honorable Mention from the Casey Family Foundation in Jazz Composition.

Lauren performs in numerous jazz, orchestral and chamber ensembles, including her own bands River Song and Bubbeleh. She is also the co-director of Baba-Rowan Large Ensemble, a 20-piece big band playing original music written by herself and other co-director, Andrew Rowan. Lauren has toured Europe with the Four Seasons La Prima Vera Symphony Orchestra as co-concert master, and was the featured soloist on Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 1 from The Four Seasons with the San Diego City Ballet Orchestra and currently performs with Center Stage Opera Company. She has also performed and recorded world music including Balkan, Eastern European, Persian, Irish and other forms of folk music with international touring artists, including Marco Antonio Solis, Ebi & Shadmehr, Almer Imamovic, and Orchestra Italiana del Cinema. Lauren has appeared on numerous pop albums, film scores, commercial soundtracks, music videos, and television including fun. iTunes Session, R.P.M. by Sasha Pieterse, Mary J. Blige Christmas Special, and Glee. She has recently performed with esteemed ensembles including The Brazil You Never Heard, Sketchy Black Dog, Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, Gregg Bendian, and Mike Keneally. Lauren has also collaborated with numerous dance and theater groups including Glass Bang, Lost in Luv, until then if not before, Edward’s House of String, Loose Gravel, and I Should Have a Party for All the Thoughts I Didn’t Say, where she is music director. Aside from her own ensembles, Lauren currently performs with GurriSonic Orchestra, Vitamin String Quartet, SAGA, Falls and with acclaimed jazz pianist/composer Vardan Ovsepian in Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble (VOCE).

Lauren’s original big band composition 144 was included on the CalArts Jazz CD 2011, as well as her original composition There Once Was A Giant on the CalArts Jazz CD 2012, both recorded at Capitol Records. Lauren recently received the 2012 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award for her composition 144.Lauren studied jazz violin/viola and composition at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California where she received her BFA in Jazz Performance.

Born in Bulgaria, Irina Chirkova holds a Master's degree from The Boston Conservatory.  She is both an acoustic and an electric cellist.
Recent performances include: 58th Grammy Awards, a tribute to BB King (2016); 57th Grammy Awards, with Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Adam Levine & Gwen Stefani, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande (2015); American Music Awards, performances with Celine Dion (2015) and Nicki Minaj (2015); Latin Grammys (2016, 2015, 2013); A Very Grammy Christmas, with Maroon 5 (2014); The Beatles Grammy Salute Concert, with Katy Perry and Annie Lennox (2014); 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, live solo performer "In Memory" segment; 55th Grammy Awards, with Carrie Underwood (2013).

She has also performed in a show/concert settings with Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Nelly Furtado, Clint Holmes, Iggy Azalea (Ellen's show), Lana Del Rey, Marco Antonio Solis, P. Diddy, Kanye West and for Bill Clinton's political conferences. As a classical cellist, Irina has performed for Yo-Yo Ma Bernard Greenhouse, the Tokyo Sting Quartet and Lang Lang.Recorded for artists such as: Steven Tyler, Godsmack, Robin Thicke (2015, 2014), Celine Dion, Stivie Nicks.

As an electric cellist, Irina has recorded and performed live at the E3 events presenting the main theme of the video game Dragon Age Inquisition.Also has recorded solo cello sound effects for the TV show The Revolution (2014).Irina is a band member of Saga Strings. She is also the main cellist for the well known Los Angeles based magician Ivan Amodei.

Since arriving in Los Angeles back in 1980, bassist Jerry Watts has amassed a truly diverse and eclectic resume. His list of recording and performing credits clearly reflects his love of music and trademark versatility. Whether it's in the studio, on tour around the globe, or pursuing creative projects in town, Watts has provided the low tones for a broad spectrum of musical artists at the highest levels of pop, rock, jazz, groove, and global music. In addition to his busy gigging schedule, Jerry is also Bass Department Chair at LAMA - College for Music Professionals.  He has recorded/played with AIRTO MOREIRA, ANDRAE CROUCH, ANDY SUMMERS, ANDY TIMMONS, ARNOLD McCULLER, BABAGHANOUSH, BILL CANTOS, BILL CUNLIFFE, BILLY IDOL, BOBBY CALDWELL, BONEY JAMES, BRASILIA, BREAKFAST CLUB, BUZZ FEITEN, CHRIS BOARDM, ANDAN HILL, DAVE KOZ, DAVE STEWART, DIMITRIS MAHLIS, DON CHERRY, DON GRUSIN, DORI CAYMMI, DR. JOHN, EDDIE JOBSON, FLORA PURIM, FRANK GAMBALE, GERALD EATON, GAL COSTA, GARY MEEK, HELEN BAYLOR, HERBIE HANCOCK, HERBIE MANN, HUBERT LAWS, JAI UTTAL, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, JOE FARRELL, JOHN DAVERSA, JUSTO ALMARIOKAZU, MATSUIKEIKO MATSUIKHALED, KEITH EMERSON, KEVYN LETTAU, LARRY CORRYELL, L.SUBRAMANIAM, MAMAK KHADEM, MARCOS ARIEL, MARILYN SCOTT, MARK SGANGA, MARIO PARMISANO, MARTIN TILMAN, MARTIN SHORT, MICHAEL RUFF, MIKE MILLER, MITCHEL FORMAN, MYLENE FARMER, NELSON RANGELLO, SAMU KITAJIMA, OSCAR CASTRONEVES, PAIGE ADKINS, PAT LEONARD, PAUL GILBERT, PETER CETERA, PETER WHITE, RHIANNON, RICARDO SILVEIRA, RIQUE PANTOJA, RUSSELL FERRANTE, RUSS MILLER, SADAO WATANABE, SATOSHI TAKINO, SEAY, SERGIO MENDES, SHELBY FLINT, SHERYL CROW, SIMON PHILLIPS, STEPHANE GRAPPELLI, STEVE BARTA, STEVE FISTER, STEVE VAI, SUBASH CHANDRAN, T-BONE, TIM WESTON, TOMMY COOMES, TOMMY WALKER, TONI CHILDS, TRIPLETS, VINX, WILSONS, WISHFUL THINKING, YUTAKA, and ZE BRUNO.