MonoNeon Returns to Berklee to Kick Off Signature Series
Image courtesy of the artist
Berklee’s Signature Series launches this fall with MonoNeon's Micro-Southern Soul on Thursday, October 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. Presented by Berklee’s Planet MicroJam Institute and directed by professor David Fiuczynski, the concert features Grammy-winning bassist, singer-songwriter, and Berklee alumnus MonoNeon ’10 showcasing his singular blend of Southern soul-inspired avant-garde funk as he performs with students and faculty.
The program centers on MonoNeon's original microtonal compositions and new arrangements across his eclectic catalogue. Student collaborators will help shape these updated arrangements and improvise alongside the artist, expressing elements of funk, soul, blues, and pop through an experimental lens.
“It’s extremely rare to see someone like MonoNeon, a combination of incredible skill, a strong feel for the heavy rhythms of funk and blues, and an original style that comes through everything he plays,” said Fiuczynski, who taught and mentored MonoNeon during his time at Berklee. “He is the embodiment of an artist, immersing himself in and borrowing inspiration from disciplines far outside of music. I hope my students will be blown away not just by his music and his playing, but also by the way he embraces a creative life.”
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, MonoNeon has established himself as one of the most boundary-pushing composers and improvisers in music. His virtuosic playing and unique avant-garde approach to composition has earned him a large following on YouTube, and has led to collaborations with Mavis Staples, George Clinton, Pete Rock, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Ghost-Note. He received a Grammy Award for his contributions to Nas’s 2020 album King’s Disease, which won Best Rap Album, and is one of the last musicians to work with Prince, recording tracks and playing live at Paisley Park with the late icon. In 2022, Fender released the MonoNeon Collection, which included the MonoNeon Jazz Bass V Signature, a five-string model in his trademark neon yellow and orange.
Tickets for MonoNeon’s Micro-Southern Soul are $19.50–$26.00 and can be purchased online and at the Berklee Box Office.
