If jazz legend Thelonious Monk was still alive, he would’ve celebrated his 108th birthday Friday; coincidentally, Grammy-winning composer John Beasley was born on the same day: Oct. 10.

Every year, Beasley organizes an annual celebration concert for his and Monk’s birthday, with this year’s performance having him return to USC Monday — where he used to substitute teach music classes back in the 1990s — to guest-conduct the Thornton Jazz Orchestra.

Maybe it’s because of their shared birthday, but with Beasley reimagining Monk’s music and adapting his sounds to the 21st century, the pair appear united through musical connectivity, even postmortem.

“[Monk] was way ahead of his time, so the people of his generation didn’t get him. So, like any kind of fine wine or music or art, it takes a while,” Beasley said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “The way he explored harmonically, he really stretched envelopes back then. … We’re just now getting to the point where we’re catching up to him.”

Beasley’s three “MONK’estra” albums — “MONK’estra Vol. 1,” “MONK’estra Vol. 2” and “MONK’estra plays John Beasley” — reinterpret the jazz musician’s compositions in ways that are different from the original works but always keep the spirit of Monk.

Beasley started rehearsing with the Thornton Jazz Orchestra at the start of the semester, first teaching the written music for a big band, then helping them understand the intentional improvisation of jazz.

“I help them shape it, phrase it, but I’m always keeping in mind [students’] generational spin on the music because jazz is not really meant to be written out like that. … I try to get these guys to internalize it, so they can express it in their way,” Beasley said.

Miguel Estrada, a sophomore majoring in jazz studies who played the alto saxophone alongside Beasley on Monday, described the rehearsal process as “very efficient.”

After those months of rehearsal, the Monday performance had nine tunes set in a roughly 90-minute performance. The show started with a full orchestra performance of “Epistrophy” and “Gallop’s Gallop,” both from “MONK’estra, Vol. 1.” Performers nodded along to the beat and shot smiles at soloists.

“Jazz — it’s not this competitive thing, even though a lot of people make it to be — and [Beasley’s] just supporting you. He’s pushing you, but also pushing you to pass your comfort zone,” Estrada said. “He even talked about the overall jazz scene and just how it can be toxic … it definitely has a lot of weight considering he’s a Grammy winner.”

Although Monk’s original music is more than 70 years old, Beasley’s reinterpretations garnered fresh excitement from the crowd.

“[The reimagining of Monk’s music] brings people in more to actually want to listen, in terms of bringing it more to a modern state,” said Samantha Navarro, a junior majoring in music industry who attended the show. ”I’m not a big jazz person, but this actually intrigued me a lot, and I would listen again and watch again.”

Monk’s intervallic music with numerous skips and energy changes invited the listener to join in on the paradox of organized randomness, where the next beat was unknown, yet pleasant. For “Ask Me Now,” Beasley joined the band on the melodica, creating an enticing and layered sound beginning with the string section and the drummer, then brightening with the blaring trumpets.

The next piece, “Make Someone Happy,” originally composed by Beasley for singer Dianne Reeves, combined a saxophone solo with a shekere for rhythmic beats, showcasing Beasley’s innovative combinations of classic jazz sounds with experimental instruments, or blends of new sound elements or genres, like Afro-Cuban and hip-hop.

“Beasley has a more modern take on what Monk was doing, and I feel like he has a similar role. … His music is very challenging, but in a very thoughtful way,” Estrada said. “It makes me really think about what it is and how I should approach it, and just challenges my artistry.”

Another standout piece was “Criss Cross” from “MONK’estra Vol. 2,” characterized by its abrupt randomness of tune with an intense buildup, sudden halt and solos from the drummer, saxophonist and pianist.

Through the different original and reinterpreted works, Beasley and the orchestra created a concert that was intimate in size but vast in creativity. Unexpected creative choices and the youth’s fervor for jazz persist, from the performers on the stage to the people in the audience.

As for Beasley, he said he believed he was honoring Monk’s legacy while forging his own “by creating possibilities” for listeners to “dream when they hear the music.”

“If it inspires me, then hopefully [it will] inspire an audience member,” Beasley said. “Music has a way of taking the audience away from their everyday lives, in a way, for 90 minutes — or have you think differently about your life or not think about your life at all. … It’s a bit of a break and, nowadays, everybody could use a break.”