Dayna Stephens

Monk’D
Release Date: October 10, 2025

Monk’D, the new album from Dayna Stephens, was recorded in a single day at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, the album features pianist Ethan Iverson, tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley, and drummer Eric McPherson in a stripped-down, deeply personal tribute to Thelonious Monk.

Whatever their personal leanings, every jazz fan worth their salt knows this: Thelonious Sphere Monk changed the game. With jagged rhythms, off-kilter harmonies, and a touch that struck like punctuation, Monk didn’t just bend the rules of jazz — he made a whole new blueprint. His tunes are now jazz gospel: studied, quoted, reimagined, yet still impossible to fully pin down.

Here, Stephens steps into a different role entirely. Known primarily as a saxophonist, he sets down his horn on Monk’D to take up the acoustic bass — an instrument he has played since his Monk Institute years, taking a couple lessons from Christian McBride, Ron Carter, and a host of other top bassists who have appeared in his own bands. The decision is both personal and practical: Stephens wanted to explore Monk’s music from the bass chair, shaping the feel and harmonic grounding from the inside out.

Stephens’ bass résumé is formidable. From 2004–2006, he toured with Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers, and from 2003–2006 with the dynamic Miss Faye Carol. He’s performed on bass with Roy Hargrove — including a special Valentine’s Day event at the Jazz Gallery with Lionel Loueke, Aaron Parks, and Greg Hutchinson — and has shared the stage with Eric Harland, Billy Hart, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Sam Yahel, Peter Bernstein, and Joshua Redman, among others.

Though bass is not his primary instrument, Stephens makes room for select engagements each year, drawn to its unique balance of support and leadership. “When I choose a bassist for my saxophone trio or quartet, I’m choosing who will lead the band,” he says. “They control the root notes of all the harmonies, and most importantly, the feel of the pulse that everyone within earshot feels internally. That role is one I crave to be in when I get the chance.”

Raised in the Bay Area and immersed in Monk’s music since his teens — first through a mixtape from his father, then performing Monk tunes in high school and college — Stephens says his time at the Monk Institute “shaped the rest of my career.” Over the past two decades, he has earned widespread acclaim as one of the most distinctive saxophonists of his generation, with albums such as The Timeless Now (2007), Peace (2014), Gratitude (2017), and Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard (2023). His most recent release, Hopium (2025), was praised by JazzTrail for its “free-flowing, serpentine saxophone performance” and “post-bop vitality.”

The idea for Monk’D came from longtime friend and supporter Mark Weiss, who suggested pairing Stephens with Iverson. “The thought came to me right away that we should play and produce a tribute honoring the great Thelonious Monk,” Stephens recalls. He carefully selected lesser-known compositions from Monk’s catalog, crafting arrangements that subtly shift meter, alter form, or fuse multiple tunes — as with the hybrid suite “Just You and Me Smoking the Evidence,” which combines “Just You, Just Me,” “Evidence,” and Stephens’ own contrafact, “Smoking Gun.” Other tracks, like “Ruby, My Dear” and “Ugly Beauty,” are left untouched in structure, guided instead by the band’s interpretive clarity.

The quartet tracked the entire album in a single session, with minimal rehearsal and maximum trust. “The collaboration process was as easy and joyful as any record I’ve ever made,” Stephens says. He and Riley rehearsed briefly as a duo the night before; Iverson and McPherson learned the music on their own. The chemistry was immediate. “We all have one thing in common: we love Monk.”

Beyond the arrangements, Monk’D leans into period detail and tactile authenticity. Stephens used gut strings on his bass; Riley played a vintage Buescher 400 tenor saxophone (manufactured between 1941–1959); and the studio housed a piano Monk once played — not the one Iverson recorded on, but present as a source of inspiration. Of the scratches Monk left on its lid, Stephens laughs, “Apparently Rudy Van Gelder was not happy about that.” The album was engineered by Maureen Sickler, Van Gelder’s longtime assistant and steward of the studio’s legacy. Stephens even approached the mix with Monk in mind, referencing several of Monk’s original albums to guide the track-by-track panning decisions.

Two pieces Stephens highlights are “Humph,” for its playfulness and joyful bass–drum trading, and “Coming on the Hudson,” which reimagines Monk’s original in 3/4 with a recurring lurch back to 4/4 on each chorus — including during the solos. “I loved how everyone uniquely handled that moment,” he says, singling out McPherson’s triplet undercurrent for particular praise.

Monk’D doesn’t attempt to tidy Monk up or smooth him out. It puts his music back on the edge where it belongs — alive, personal, and full of questions.

Hopium
Release Date: February 7, 2025

Hopium, a musical exhibition that explores the interweaving threads of hope for a better future and cynicism of that future realistically happening that seems to be present within the hearts and minds of every person. Accompanied by the personnel of his critically acclaimed 2021 album, Right Now!, Stephens and his cohort musically examine the internal debate between optimism and disillusionment he finds within himself and sees within the world around him. Over the course of seven tracks, Stephens invites listeners to join him as he reflects on the moments of confusion and clarity that shape everyday life and considers the transformative power of truth pervasive through it all. 

The album’s title, Hopium, is a succinct summary of the album’s central themes, neatly wrapped in a witty portmanteau combining the words “hope” and “opium”. The two words from which the title is derived signal the bandleader’s thoughts on the nature of humanity and the nature of hope, which so spurs humanity ever onwards. “Hope can be both empowering and deceptive,” Stephens says. “It can offer a sense of solace while occasionally blinding us to the harsh realities present.” In this way, hope may be both a driving force and a sweet, addictive demise that holds one captive, as the state of hoping for something is so often easier than the state of working towards that same hope. 

The ensemble present at Hopium is something of a reunion. Comprising the star-studded cast of Aaron Parks (piano), Ben Street (bass), and Greg Hutchinson (drums), this is the same quartet who so phenomenally came together to create Stephens’s beloved 2021 live album, Right Now! Live at the Village Vanguard. The band’s familiarity with one another enabled an ease of musicianship and level of trust that catapulted this record beyond even the sum of their incredible parts into a work of art that is truly resounding in both musical maturity and artistic message.

Each of the seven tracks is an original composition, written entirely by Stephens except for track six, which was composed by Parks. The album opens with Drive North To Find The Oranges Out West. Ripe with metaphorical significance, this track was written to express how the path one must take in life is anything but straightforward. With analogous musical motifs, the track uses the idea of oranges to represent fulfillment while the drive and direction represent the overlap of freedom and uncertainty. “Road trips for me are often driven by a desire to escape and experience unfamiliar landscapes,” Stephens says. “This track brings to mind the vastness of the open road and wide horizons where each mile brings new possibilities.” The album continues with Jump Start, an homage to Herbie Hancock’s “A Jump Ahead.” Musically, this track is mesmerizing, reactive, and uncertain, as the entire band is on their toes following the bassist Ben Street’s real-time decisions. Every 32 bars, Street signals the top of the form, signaling that the band - and symbolically, the listener - is starting anew. At each new cycle of the form, Street leads the rest of the ensemble in a new harmonic direction as he sees fit. “It’s literally and metaphorically the sound of seizing the moment, breaking free and pushing forward with urgency and drive,” Stephens says.

The third track on the album is Trust. A pensive piece, “Trust” reflects on that central element around which all relationships of all natures revolve. “‘Trust’ reminds us of the vulnerability and strength in placing faith in others and in ourselves as we face unknown tomorrows and how fragile that trust can be when we do,” Stephens says. The fourth track, Hopium, is the album’s title track. Aptly placed in the center of the album, “Hopium” is the thematic cornerstone that holds the album’s message up. “There’s a sense of both euphoria and denial here as this piece explores the space between optimism and denial,” Stephens says. “The piece ends on an unresolved chord intentionally, which leaves the door wide open for cynicism to enter into the frame.” Occasionally Cynical musically navigates the moments in which doubt outweighs belief and the apparent harshness of reality pollutes the idealism of hope. Despite the morose weight of this theme, Stephens clarifies the clandestine brightness of it. “Even here, the cynicism is temporary,” he says. “It’s an almost predictable passing state in the ebb and flow of emotional tides.” Paralleling this ebb and flow is the pervasive push and pull of the harmonies that undergird the entirety of the track, signaling to audiences which part of the emotional state the composer is in at any given moment.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland is pianist Aaron Parks’s contribution to the album. Thematically, this piece draws on author Haruki Murakami’s ideas of alternate realities while musically Parks leans into the sounds of Sam River’s “Cyclic Episode” and Chick Corea’s “Humpty Dumpty.” Using the two songs akin to the dual worlds of Murakami’s novel, this piece examines the line between conscious and subconscious through escapism and introspection in the life of the individual. The album concludes with As Truth Rises Above Power and features guest guitarist Charles Altura to create an anthemic soundscape, underpinned by tones of defiance, resilience, and integrity. “This piece is a reminder that truth, no matter how suppressed, will eventually emerge victorious,” Stephens says. Akin to the title track, this piece, too, ends unresolved harmonically. However, where “Hopium” lacks the resolution to allow cynicism to enter metaphorically, this piece stands open-ended in a manner that calls audiences to go forth and do likewise in pursuit of truth.

Dayna Stephens has already established himself as a powerhouse in the contemporary scene, with landmark albums showcasing a mesmerizing command and virtuosity. Now, with Hopium, Stephens establishes himself as a poet-philosopher: a musician capable not only of mastering the art to its finest degree but of articulating the heart and soul of humankind with all the oscillating gentleness and fervor of humanity itself.

Closer Than We Think
Release Date: April 5, 2024
Label: Cellar Music Group

Closer Than We Think, is an artistic reflection on similarity over difference. Comprising compositions by Stephens and his band members, as well as a curated selection of covers, Closer Than We Think is a remarkable statement and presentation of musical unity made even more powerful by the wealth of different experiences. 

After nearly a dozen albums, Stephens was seeking to grow, and continue moving ever forward as an artist, while remaining true to his musical identity and the legacy of the jazz greats who preceded him. Particularly as the world began to bloom anew as society rekindled connection, Stephens felt the need to blossom and bear fruit with it. Out of a feeling of being stagnant and stuck, Stephens sought to surround himself with those musicians who inspired him. His initial thoughts went to his jazz heroes - the musicians of established eras and titans of the past and present. However, due to the pacing of the contemporary world, creating a consistent roster of such peers and mentors was not viable, and Stephens at first became disappointed. “We all play better when we’re playing with people we perceive as being better than us,” Stephens says. “The frustration of not being able to make that happen on a consistent basis with the same personnel every time – that was a wall I was up against any time I wanted to book anything.” But from this initial setback, a seed of inspiration began to grow. Stephens - who is a full-time educator at some of America’s most prestigious music conservatories - thought of the places and people from whom he received inspiration and realized that while he is inspired by his heroes, he receives as much, if not more, inspiration from the students whom he has had the privilege of pouring into. “When that whole paradigm shift happened, there wasn’t much of a question of which folks I wanted to play with,” Stephens says. With a new plan, new inspiration, and a new direction, Stephens set out, refreshed, to assemble his crew for what would become Closer Than We Think.

The album’s title, Closer Than We Think, is taken from the idea of seeking similarities as humans, rather than harping and dividing ourselves among the myriad divisions upon which society seems to constantly fixate. The band, with its scattered origins and generational gaps, provides a living metaphor for the beauty that can be achieved when we as a species focus on the unity of collaboration and view our differences as strengths.

In addition to the bandleader of Dayna Stephens on tenor saxophone and EWI, the ensemble present on this recording boasts a manifold and variegated talent pool of Emmanuel Michael (guitar), Kanoa Mendenhall (bass), and Jongkuk Kim (drums), with a guest feature by Jeremy Pelt (trumpet). Each musician was chosen by Stephens meticulously for their unique musical personalities and masterful artistry, both of which are endlessly present throughout every track on the album. Stephens met guitarist Emmanuel Michael in September 2022 as a student at the Manhattan School of Music, and could not stop thinking about his sound and presence. “Michael immediately struck me as a one-of-a-kind guitarist with a very special approach to expressing emotion with a personal sense of time and harmony,” Stephens says. “His sound will delightfully and wholly consume you.” Bassist Kenoa Mendenhall was first encountered by Stephens at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. “I have always admired her grace and amazing reflexes while being rock solid, reliable, and uber supportive,” Stephens says. Drummer Jongkuk Kim has been someone Stephens has wanted to record with for a while and was excited to finally have a reason to do so. “Jongkuk Kim is a creative wizard when it comes to rhythm, color and textures,” Stephens says. “I’m absolutely in love with his spontaneity and his use of dynamics and drive, especially when things get cooking.” In addition to his prowess in the jazz genre, Kim also boasts a notable resume, having worked with the Korean Pop megastars, BTS. 

Notable on Closer Than We Think is the distinct lack of piano. When asked, Stephens remarked that much of this album’s sonic palette was inspired by the timeless Sonny Rollins album, The Bridge. “My father bought me The Bridge and I fell in love, recognizing the seriousness, and also sometimes playful and humorous expressions that I felt from Sonny,” Stephens says. “That level of intimacy, warmth and feeling of limitless possibilities is the source of my addiction to this music.”

The track listing on the album represents a mosaic of composers, most of whom are in the band, and a vast swatch of emotions. The album opens with “Bubbly”, composed by the band’s guitarist, Emmanuel Michael. “This song speaks to me as the song that best represents the sound and spirit of this group,” Stephens says. “It’s a beautiful, singable, happy, joyous anthem.” Next is “The Nomad”, one of Stephens’s original compositions. The title is taken from the book The Fourth Turning, which presents insights into the idea of generational cycles over the course of human history. Within the analysis of the book, Generation X falls into the category of “The Nomad”, and this piece seeks to evoke the wanderings of both the character and the broader societal grouping with which it is associated. 

“Scrutiny” is the second composition by Stephens on the album, inspired by the idea that “all people deserve respect and all ideas deserve scrutiny.” The bandleader applies this concept personally: “To me, this means that conversation is the key to staying united as couples, communities and as a species, while evolving in harmony.” This composition embodies this spirit of unity while evolving forward as the composition unfurls itself over time, using a take on the blues with a recurring rhythmic motif to execute the concept. The album features the iconic Wayne Shorter standard, “ESP” as homage to the bandleader’s time as a mentee of the late great saxophonist. In Stephens’s arrangement, he adds a subtle twist to the harmony that further highlights the haunting melody and accentuates the harmonic resolution created by Shorter. 

Stephens’s third and final original on the album is “A New Spring”, and is a song that is emotionally tied to the composer himself. The melody was composed in Stephens’s head as he was receiving one of his last dialysis sessions before receiving a kidney transplant. As Stephens sat in the dialysis chair, his brain spun the melody through a plethora of orchestration options, and each one he loved. While it has been performed in a variety of ways, the arrangement used on the album with this guitar-driven soundscape, powerfully encapsulates the idea of arriving at a new beginning. 

With Closer Than We Think, Stephens illustrates in a sonically poignant way the great power of drawing on similarities to create a homogenous identity, while still acknowledging and even relying on the differences that create the beloved individualities within each person. Indeed, Closer Than We Think showcases that closeness is most powerful when it occurs despite difference, not due to a lack of difference, and when the roleplayers in question choose to come together with their differences to make something newfound and ebullient. Certainly, as Stephens presents his twelfth album, he has shown himself to learn from the brilliance of history while embracing the endless and unpredictable variation that marks the future.