Monkeybars pushes a reverb jazz envelope with Sonny Rollins & Coltrane influences Eli Aleinikoff of Monkeybars may originally be from D.C. but his origins sound New Orleanian all the way. Experiencing mostly jazz while growing up, the now New Yorker says his “big heroes” were Sonny Rollins (makes sense), John Coltrane, Joe Henderson (another jazz tenor), and Paul Carr, Aleinikoff’s jazz teacher who is well known in the D.C. circle as an educator, saxophonist, and festival organizer. The Monkeybars founder says despite his jazz roots, he listens to “lots” these days, depending on which day of the week.