Hall Monitors Jazz Quintet

The Hall Monitors is a group of top-notch jazz musicians brought together through our love of playing, composing, arranging, AND teaching. We are all honored to be jazz coaches at the prestigious Hall High School in West Hartford CT, which has brought us together to form this quintet. The group performs a variety of intense jazz styles and includes innovative originals in their programs along with original treatments of not-so-standard jazz classics. It features a classic piano-bass-drums rhythm section with two innovative and complementary saxophonists.

The group currently consists of Steve Bulmer on bass, Jen Allen on piano, Matt Parker on saxes and flute, Nathan Edwards on saxes and Ben Bilello on drums.

In May of 2023, the opportunity to launch the group really came together after an invitation to perform at the Blue Room in CitySpace, Easthampton, MA for Carol’s Jazz Night concert series put on by empresario Carol Abbe Smith. The group presented a 90 minute set of 11 tunes, including 5 originals from 3 different band members. All we needed now was a name.

The group’s genesis happened at a special night for Hall High School Jazz Combos at the legendary Hartford nightspot, Black Eyed Sally’s. We coaches were invited to perform after the school combos. Matt Parker penned a particularly potent swinger titled Mr. Hall that brought the house to its feet at the conclusion. The smiles on our faces were sure signs that this could not be a one and done group.

After pushing many failed pun-names around trying to play on the word “Hall,” the Hall Monitors‘ moniker was adopted. (Some rejected names included Hall and Notes, and Jazz Fame of Hallers, thankfully!)

Links: Website | YouTube

This concert and other Buttonwood Tree programs brought to you by our generous donors, volunteers, and the following organizations: