A minimalist jazz pianist who took bebop to even higher heights, Thelonious Sphere Monk was a unique character and a maverick in the music industry. How else can we describe a man who kept his grand piano in his kitchen? Not interested in using his music to please people, Monk strove to discover ways

Beats, Bebop, Enigmatic, Improvised, Loose, Playful, Quirky, Slangy

According to Gene Santoro, John Zorn's "idiosyncratic mixtures of musical genres reflect the way popular music is currently transmitted from one culture to another...eclectic is far too weak a word to describe his intensely demanding yet playful sonic assaults." John Zorn's work doesn't simply titill

Cartoonish, Collage, Contemporary/downtown, Excessive, Free jazz, Free/avant-garde, Polychromatic, Psychedelic, Quirky

Rachel's is a so-called punk band that plays chamber music. Or is it a chamber music ensemble that plays in punk clubs? Either way, the band's music is fresh -- the rich harmonics of acoustic violas, cello, and piano, oddly combined with the bar chatter and dive ambiance of alternative venues, add up

Composed, Elegant, Punk, Quirky