The 2011 class of the Thelonious Monk Institute Ensemble played their first show at Snug Harbor on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Though their first song, “Headgear,” was a rough introduction for the drummer and the horn section, pianist Victor Gould played a quick-paced solo with bassist Hogyu Hwang, who backed Gould with a funky bass line.

The second song, “Medium,” started with a better entrance from the horns, but followed with a stale clarinet solo. As he danced through his scales, clarinetist and saxophonist Matt Marantz seemed to be testing how fast and high he could take them. Marantz gave way to Gould who played a Monk-inspired solo that toyed with a constantly changing melody.  Throughout the solo, drummer Nicholas Falk fluctuated a beat, becoming heavier, then lighter before repeating.

“New Life,” the ensembles third tune, started out with a cool, stealthy melody and a drum beat that largely utilized snares and toms. Trumpeter Billy Buss played a solo that had a promising start, but ended up being too wordy to keep consistency with the song, resulting in quick spurts by Falk, as if to catch up to Buss.

Marantz then slid in on tenor sax with a quick solo that exerted a more elegant style than before and ended with a confidently repeated endnote. Dominating the solos, alto saxophonist Godwin Louis played fast, but caught the crowd with soulful wails and a great display of chord progressions. Falk then ended the solos with a rounded use of his set while seemingly tripping from one effect to the next and introducing short, thick splashes that added soul to the song. To change the whole song though, the band ended with an almost confusing effort, bringing new life to the song.

In a standard, Marantz started with a gleeful solo on the tenor sax that flowed nicely, then ended his solo by jumping around the scale while jesting with his instruments dynamics. Gould perked up in a solo that soon became distorted, working his way back to lighter phrases. Though playing with amazing technicality, Louis’s solo still held a rich tone with widely ranging wails. Again, the band hushed for Hwang to make a stance, which he did by playing short stalls and crawling riffs. Brief statements from each instrument sounded while Falk powered through with an evolving beat that was interrupted by a loud horn section that abrasively ended the song.

The sextet will play at Satchmo’s in the Danna Student Center on Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Garrett Cleland can be reached at [email protected]