Michel Sardaby, Monty Alexander - Caribbean Duet

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:49
Size: 128,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:04) 1. Jamaica Farewell
(6:48) 2. Yellow Bird
(4:10) 3. Like Someone In Love
(6:57) 4. Nocturne Dance
(5:08) 5. Fuchsia - Hibiscus
(7:27) 6. Antony
(6:15) 7. Happy Talk
(4:52) 8. Macouba
(8:06) 9. Eleuthera

Caribbean-born pianist/composer Michel Sardaby is an adept jazz performer with a warm, sophisticated post-bop style. Born in Fort de France, Martinique in 1935, Sardaby grew up surrounded by music: His father owned a cafe and sold pianos. As a result, he played piano from a young age, and quickly revealed himself as a prodigy. Blanching under the strict tutelage of his private instructor, Sardaby initially stopped his piano studies, choosing instead to study art at the Boulle School in Paris. He eventually returned to his instrument full-time, and worked regularly throughout the '60s, playing with his own groups, and backing blues artists like T-Bone Walker, and Sonny Boy Williamson. As a leader, he made his recorded debut in the late '60s with the quartet session Five Cat's Blues and the live date Blue Sunset.

By the '70s, Sardaby was spending more time working in New York. His output picked up during this period with albums like 1970's Night Cap, a trio date featuring bassist Percy Heath and drummer Connie Kay. More well-regarded albums followed including 1974's Gail, recorded with bassist Richard Davis and drummer Billy Hart, and 1977's In New York, again with Davis as well as drummer Billy Cobham and percussionist Ray Barretto. These albums showcased both his lyricism and his growing interest in Latin and funk rhythms.

Although Sardaby stayed active, his recordings slowed over the next few years, before he returned with Caribbean Duet, a collaboration with pianist Monty Alexander. Going Places, a trio date with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, followed in 1989. A year later, he paired with bassist Jay Leonhart for Night Blossom. Straight On, a rare quintet date featuring trumpeter Louis Smith, saxophonist Ralph Moore, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Tony Reedus, appeared in 1993. Sardaby then moved to the Japanese label Sound Hills for a handful of efforts in the late '90s including Intense Moment, Classics & Ballads, and Voyage with bassist Ron Carter.

Since the early 2000s, Sardaby has recorded intermittently, issuing 2003's trio session Karen featuring bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Dion Parson, and At Home: Tribute to My Father, with bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Winard Harper. In 2006, the pianist celebrated his 70th birthday and a 50-plus-year career with the concert album A Night in Paris. By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michel-sardaby-mn0000890212/biography

Personnel: Piano – Michel Sardaby, Monty Alexander

Caribbean Duet

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Monty Alexander Trio - Jazz In Duketown 2019

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:42
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:22) 1. The Work Song
(12:18) 2. Hurricane Come and Gone
( 7:14) 3. Night Mist Blues
( 7:15) 4. Look Up
( 9:23) 5. Django
(11:22) 6. Renewal
(10:45) 7. Running Away

Jamaica-born pianist Monty Alexander is a sophisticated, prolific performer with an urbane swinging style informed by the bop tradition as well as the reggae and Caribbean folk he grew up with. Influenced by pianist Oscar Peterson, Alexander initially garnered attention performing in night clubs in the late '50s. Following a move to Miami, he gained wider renown with 1965's Alexander the Great and 1976's Live! Montreux Alexander. Over the years he has continued to explore a vibrant, cross-pollinated sound, moving from straight-ahead acoustic jazz to Jamaican sounds on albums like 1980's Trio, 1994's Jamboree: Monty Alexander's Ivory and Steel, and 2011's Grammy-nominated Harlem-Kingston Express. In 2019, he brought all these influences to bear on the Thelonious Monk-inspired Wareika Hill Rastamonk Vibrations.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, Alexander first started playing piano around age four and took classical lessons from age six. By his teens, however, he had discovered jazz and was already performing in nightclubs. His early career found him covering pop and rock hits of the day, as well as working with various ska, reggae, and calypso groups, including Clue J & His Blues Blasters. However, it was his love of jazz-oriented artists like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole that brought him the most inspiration. In 1961, he moved with his family to Miami, Florida to better pursue his musical ambitions. It was there that Alexander met restaurateur and Frank Sinatra associate Jilly Rizzo, who eventually hired him as the house pianist at his New York nightclub, Jilly's. For the next several years, Alexander lived in New York and worked at Jilly's, where had the opportunity to befriend and perform with a bevy of stars including Sinatra, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and others. Buoyed by this success, in 1964 he traveled to Los Angeles, where he recorded several well-received albums for the Pacific Jazz label, including Alexander the Great and Spunky. A handful of additional efforts followed, including 1967's Zing! on RCA and 1969's This Is Monty Alexander on Verve. In 1969 he also appeared on vibraphonist Milt Jackson's That's the Way It Is.

In the '70s, Alexander built a long-lasting relationship with Germany's MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label and released a steady stream of albums, including 1971's Here Comes the Sun, 1974's Perception!, and 1977's Cobilimbo with longtime friend and collaborator Ernest Ranglin. These albums found Alexander pushing his sound in new directions and often combining jazz with elements of the Caribbean musical traditions of his youth. During this period he formed working relationships with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. As a trio, they debuted to much acclaim on 1976's Live! Montreux Alexander, and would continue to work together in various configurations over the next several decades. The pianist also continued to record with Milt Jackson, and made appearances on albums by Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, and others.

The '80s were also a fruitful period for Alexander, who continued to combine his love of straight-ahead jazz and Caribbean music with the release of such albums as 1983's The Duke Ellington Songbook, 1985's The River, and 1986's Li'l Darlin'. He also reunited with Clayton and Hamilton on 1983's Reunion in Europe and paired with bassist Ray Brown for several dates, including 1985's Full Steam Ahead and 1987's The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio. More albums followed, including 1994's Live at Maybeck and 1995's reggae-inflected Yard Movement. He rounded out the decade with 1997's Frank Sinatra-inspired Echoes of Jilly's and 1999's Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley.

In 2000, Alexander's artistic achievements were recognized by the Jamaican government with his designation as a worldwide music ambassador and as Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica. That same year, he collaborated with reggae giants Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, followed in 2001 by Caribbean Duet with pianist Michel Sardaby. He then paired again with Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis for 2002's Triple Scoop and 2003's Straight Ahead. Two tribute sessions followed with 2008's The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and 2009's Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole.

Alexander then highlighted his fusion of reggae, ska, R&B, and jazz on 2011's Grammy-nominated Harlem-Kingston Express and 2014's Harlem-Kingston Express, Vol. 2: River Rolls On, both recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center. In 2019, he celebrated his longstanding love of Thelonious Monk on Wareika Hill Rastamonk Vibrations, reworking many of the pianist's songs with Caribbean-flourishes. Featured on the album were guest spots by saxophonists Wayne Escoffery, Ron Blake, and Joe Lovano.By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography

Jazz In Duketown 2019

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Monty Alexander - The Montreux Years

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 85:16
Size: 195,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:43) 1. The Serpent
( 7:53) 2. Work Song
( 9:49) 3. Hurricane Come And Gone
( 8:14) 4. Night Mist Blues
( 8:35) 5. Linstead Market
( 7:45) 6. Crying
( 8:14) 7. No Woman No Cry / Get Up Stand Up (Medley)
( 9:47) 8. Renewal
( 7:13) 9. The Pawnbroker
(11:58) 10. A Nod To Bob

Monty Alexander: The Montreux Years is a showcase of jazz piano virtuoso Monty Alexander’s iconic Montreux Jazz Festival live performances, spanning three decades of his career from 1993 to 2016. The Grammy-nominated, pianist performed some of his finest shows in the Swiss town and this release captures him at his best, bringing his laid-back, Caribbean vibes to the shores of Lake Geneva.

In a career spanning six decades, Monty Alexander has built a reputation exploring and bridging the worlds of American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica, finding in each a sincere spirit of musical expression. Monty has always been proud of his roots and effortlessly merges his iconic piano playing with other musical influences including that of his fellow countryman, Bob Marley, on the sublime “No Woman No Cry”, the live version of which appears on this release.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Monty has performed and recorded with artists from every corner of the musical universe and entertainment world: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Barbara Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare, among others.

By the time Monty first played Montreux (in 1976), he was already an incredibly accomplished performer but playing there nonetheless marked a similarly significant career step-up. “Montreux was like going to the Olympics. Up to then, I was going about my business as a jazz performer, playing in real down-home clubs all over the US. The people there weren’t too interested in what you might call intellectual content, they just wanted the music swinging. So, to go to Montreux, which was so auspicious, playing alongside all these incredible musicians in this beautiful place surrounded by mountains, and with such a smart, passionate audience...I was delighted. In fact, I had to keep my ego in check. It was a very long way from my upbringing in Kingston, Jamaica, which was another world altogether.”

The audio has been expertly restored and remastered in superlative HD audio; The Montreux Years is released on superior audiophile heavy weight vinyl, MQA quality CD and in HD digital. Brand new liner notes based on an interview with Monty will be available with this release, which also includes rare photos and memories from his Montreux shows.

Monty has also just released a brand new album Love Notes, his first album to feature his own vocals. Thoughtfully curated, the eleven tracks on “Love Notes” are some of Monty’s favourite songs crafted and arranged in a totally unique, romantic setting. With the exception of “These Love Notes” (Monty’s original composition with lyrics by Brian Jobson), all of the songs have a direct connection to his childhood the first songs he ever heard and loved and they bring back the scent and romanticism of the Jasmine flowers Monty used to smell as a child in Montego Bay. Guest artists on the album include George Benson, the Late Roy Hargrove, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Arturo Sandoval and More. https://www.pmamedia.org/en/home/monty-alexander-the-montreux-years

The Montreux Years

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Monty Alexander - Love Notes

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:17
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:59) 1. Day in Day Out
(4:54) 2. These Love Notes
(6:02) 3. The Nearness of You (feat. Roy Hargrove)
(4:56) 4. As Time Goes By
(4:45) 5. Faith Can Move Mountains
(4:07) 6. Island in the Sun
(4:58) 7. To the Ends of the Earth
(4:30) 8. Moon River
(2:55) 9. Too Marvelous for Words (Live)
(2:32) 10. Straighten up and Fly Right (Live)
(4:33) 11. For Sentimental Reasons

Pianist Monty Alexander is set to release Love Notes this year, fulfilling a decades-long desire to record his first vocal album.

The iconic jazz musician has released 75 recordings as a bandleader over the course of his illustrious career spanning more than 60 years. Alexander’s recording career also includes work as a session musician with Ray Brown, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson and many more. Now, he’s finally making his debut as a vocalist.

“My desire was emboldened ever since one of our great jazz vocalists, Carmen McRae, heard me sing a tune at the end of a concert and told me, ‘Don’t stop singing!,’ admonishing me like a loving aunt would,” Alexander recalls. “That was back in the 1970s, so it took me 50 years … but I am glad to finally introduce Monty the vocalist and this collection of love songs.”

The 11 tracks on Love Notes are new arrangements of some of Alexander’s favourite songs ever since he was a child in Jamaica; the exception is one original composition, These Love Notes, a previously instrumental fan favourite that’s been newly re-recorded here with lyrics by Brian Jobson. Among the album’s track listing are romantic standards famously recorded by the likes of Henry Mancini, Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra and more.

“These songs harken back to innocent times, the 1950s, when I would hear calypsos and mentos in the streets,” Alexander says, “before I came to America, before the rise of Bob Marley, and certainly before I knew I would have this incredible career as a jazz pianist with over 75 albums recorded to date. Seventy-five albums as a pianist and one as a singer!”

Love Notes features an impressive cast of musicians that includes George Benson, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Courtney Panton, Karl Wright, Rubens de la Corte, Arturo Sandoval, Paul Berner, Steve Williams, Bobby Thomas Jr., Hassan Shakur and Quentin Baxter. The late Roy Hargrove also makes a posthumous appearance on two of the tracks.The album’s release will be accompanied by tour dates worldwide.

There’s also a biographical documentary in the works called The Monty Alexander Movie. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Arthur Gordon, the project is currently in production in Jamaica, the U.S. and Europe.~Adam Feibel https://jazz.fm/monty-alexander-love-notes-first-vocal-album/

Love Notes

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Monty Alexander - Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:37
Size: 155,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:40) 1. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:45) 2. Three Little Birds
(4:56) 3. Ramblin' Rose
(6:04) 4. Put On a Happy Face
(7:32) 5. When The Saints Go Marching In
(4:56) 6. Again
(5:06) 7. The Good Life
(7:45) 8. Never Let Me Go
(7:09) 9. Smile
(4:38) 10. Mango Walk
(5:25) 11. Almost Like Being In Love
(2:38) 12. Sweet Georgia Brown

Monty Alexander's virtuosity was apparent from an early age, learning to play by ear at 4. 70 years on, Alexander's talents have continued to grow and evolve, resulting in three of the most inspiring recordings in the Chesky catalog - The Good Life: The Music of Tony Bennett, Calypso Blues: The Music of Nat King Cole, and Caribbean Circle. Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander serves as an auditory tour of some of Monty's finest moments on Chesky Records. If you're new to Monty's material, prepare for excellence in its purest form.

"It has been a pleasure to have worked with one of the greatest Jazz musicians of all time Mr. Monty Alexander. He redefines the art of swing with his joyous touch. We have picked out some of our favorites tracks from the albums we did with him. "~David & Norman Cheskyhttps://montya.bandcamp.com/album/never-let-me-go-cheskys-best-of-monty-alexander

Never Let Me Go: Chesky's Best of Monty Alexander

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The Monty Alexander Trio - Zing!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:23
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. Zing!
(5:51) 2. You're My Everything
(4:09) 3. Once Upon a Time
(3:54) 4. Always True to You In My Fashion
(3:21) 5. The Magnificent Seven
(4:12) 6. Bossa Nova Do Marilla
(3:40) 7. Small Fry
(3:06) 8. Girl Talk
(3:16) 9. Nocturne In E-Flat

Pianist Monty Alexander was 23 when he recorded his lone album for RCA, just his third recording of what would be a very productive career. Alexander, who at that point in time was most influenced by Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, already showed a great deal of maturity in his playing, as effective on uptempo tunes as he was on ballads. Last reissued as a French RCA, this outing matches Alexander in trios with either Victor Gaskin or Bob Cranshaw on bass and Roy McCurdy or Al Foster on drums. The repertoire ranges from the pianist's title cut and Cole Porter's "Always True to You In My Fashion" to some show tunes, Neal Hefti's "Girl Talk," and Chopin's "Nocturne In E-Flat," which is turned into jazz. A strong effort that is long overdue to be reissued on CD.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/zing%21-mw0000870960

Personnel: Piano – Monty Alexander; Bass – Bob Cranshaw, Victor Gaskin; Drums – Al Foster, Roy McCurdy

Zing!

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Monty Alexander - Love You Madly: Live at Bubba's

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 91:55
Size: 211,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:41) 1. Arthur's Theme
( 8:08) 2. Love You Madly
( 6:26) 3. Samba De Orfeu
( 5:57) 4. Sweet Lady
( 9:35) 5. Eleuthra
( 7:49) 6. Reggae Later
( 6:45) 7. Blues for Edith
(10:07) 8. Fungii Mama
( 6:05) 9. Consider
( 7:06) 10. Montevideo
( 7:21) 11. Body and Soul
( 3:53) 12. Swamp Fire
( 4:56) 13. SKJ

Risk and reward is honored in the selection of this premium sound night club gig from nearly forty years ago. Just how such a recording is going to play in a current climate is tricky business. Is it vintage or is it outdated? Is it a fond remembrance or better left forgotten? The answers are of course in the ear of the beholder. Certainly, the spirit and energy play well in any time period.

Jamaican born pianist Monty Alexander first made an impression on the jazz circuit as far back as the early to mid-nineteen sixties. While he didn't fully embrace his Jamaican roots until years later, there was always a certain swagger in his lines. He perhaps held that back a bit until he was more firmly entrenched as an artist. At any rate, by nineteen eighty-two, the year this was recorded, Alexander had begun to incorporate it into his swing. It occurs that being in the transitional development and growth stages of what is now his widely known jazz and Jamaican fusion, is key to the freshness and improvisational nature of the performance. Indeed percussionist Robert Thomas Jr. is brought in to infuse his hand drumming with bassist Paul Berner and drummer Duffy Jackson.

"Arthur's Theme" was a very popular song at the time. The tune from the movie Arthur(Warner Brothers, 1981) is given quite the jazz makeover and won the audience over in a heartbeat. The Duke Ellington composition, and title track, follows, and an evening of live jazz quartet music is underway at Bubba's Jazz Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. What was most striking about the next few tunes that completed the first set is Alexander's remarkable proficiently in shifting tempo, Jackson and Berner had an opportunity to stretch out during "Reggae Later," before stretching during the break. Berner noteworthy in his Ron Carterish grooves and sounds.

"Blues for Edith" set the mood for the second set with a bluesy feel. But one that seamlessly built into a briskly paced number. They sailed on into "Fungii Mama," and the house lit up. Alexander then took the risk of dropping way down into a slow and earnest melody. He was rewarded when "Consider" had the crowd in total silence, not wanting to miss a single note of the Alexander penned ballad. Unlike the first set when the tempo changes during songs were notable, this time it was the sequencing that was the ticket. "Montevideo" seemed to blast off like a spaceship coming off such a now quiet space. The orbit continued to soar with an impressive and charismatic vision of "Body and Soul." Alexander and company then proceeded to burn the house down in a "Swamp Fire." The Milt Jackson written "SKJ" closed the show amid band introductions and zealous fan appreciation. It is cliché to say that this record is a must for any Monty Alexander fan to add to their collection. It is, at the very least, of no risk and high reward.~ Jim Worsley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/love-you-madly-live-at-bubbas-monty-alexander-resonance-records

Personnel: Monty Alexander: piano; Paul Berner: bass; Duffy Jackson: drums; Robert Thomas Jr.: percussion.

Love You Madly: Live at Bubba's

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Monty Alexander - Wareika Hill Rastamonk Vibrations

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:00
Size: 166,4 MB
Art: Front

(0:18)  1. Wareika
(6:48)  2. Misterioso
(6:32)  3. Nutty
(5:55)  4. Bye-Ya
(6:19)  5. San Francisco Holiday (Worry Later)
(5:36)  6. Rhythm-a-Ning
(4:49)  7. Brilliant Corners
(5:21)  8. Well You Needn't
(6:54)  9. Bemsha Swing
(6:20) 10. Green Chimneys
(6:36) 11. Monk's Dream
(4:23) 12. Abide with Me
(4:39) 13. Well You Needn't (Live at the Paris Philarmonie)
(0:22) 14. Wareika Goodbye

Like a Rastafarian in Jamaica, he was different,” Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander says of Thelonious Monk, whom he first heard in person at New York City’s legendary Five Spot in 1963. Monk soon became a major influence on Alexander’s music, which was rooted in the reggae and ska of his native country as well as the jazz he absorbed first in Kingston studios and later when he moved to New York. On Wareika Hill (RastaMonk Vibrations), a collection of fresh reinterpretations of Monk gems, Alexander effectively nails his hero’s idiosyncrasies.

Recorded over the course of several years, the album features Alexander and a core group of players plus a few guests, including guitarist John Scofield, who injects keening, wah-edged lines into the rub-a-dub of “Bye-Ya.” Joe Lovano delivers an edgy tenor romp on a percussion-heavy “Green Chimneys,” which opens up for a piano solo that has the leader tossing in an introductory quote of John Barry’s James Bond theme. Wareika Hill is packed with sly reboots of classic material.

A live-in-Paris version of “Well, You Needn’t” alternates between something akin to a dancehall rhythm and swing, and features provocative turns by tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and trombonist Andrae Murchison. “Bemsha Swing” opens with unaccompanied stride-style piano before sliding into roots-reggae and later turning to straight-ahead jazz. “Brilliant Corners” is remade with a melody played on melodica and piano over a sticky, chugging groove, pulsing Nyabinghi drums, and a bass line that incorporates part of the theme.There are other treats here too, including the ever playful “Rhythm-a-Ning,” with more outings by Escoffery and Alexander, on an arrangement inspired by a Bob Marley recording. “Nutty,” also with Escoffery, is built on mento rhythms. And “San Francisco Holiday” shifts from Jamaican brukins rhythm to swing, benefiting from Ron Blake’s gritty tenor turn. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/monty-alexander-wareika-hill-rastamonk-vibrations-macd/

Wareika Hill Rastamonk Vibrations

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The Monty Alexander Trio - Full Steam Ahead

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:26
Size: 96,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Freddie Freeloader
(6:24)  2. Once I Loved
(4:16)  3. Ray's Idea
(2:58)  4. Because You're Mine
(2:52)  5. I Can't Get No Satisfaction
(6:02)  6. Happy Talk
(4:38)  7. Estate
(5:21)  8. Hi-Fly
(3:36)  9. Just Friends

For his seventh Concord recording, all of which are easily recommended, pianist Monty Alexander teams up with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Frank Gant for four bop standards, a pair of bossa-nova tunes, and such unusual jazz vehicles as "Because You're Mine" (taken from a Mario Lanza movie), "Happy Talk," and "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." No matter what its source, the music is all turned into an entertaining and joyous brand of rhythmically exciting straight-ahead jazz, showing off Monty Alexander in good form. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/full-steam-ahead-mw0000187641

Personnel: Piano – Monty Alexander; Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Frank Gant

Full Steam Ahead

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Milt Jackson - That's The Way It Is

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz 
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:24
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Frankie And Johnny
(7:45)  2. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:32)  3. Wheelin' And Dealin'
(7:15)  4. Blues In The Bassment
(8:44)  5. Tenderly
(7:22)  6. That's The Way It Is

As the story goes, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown would meet up once a year for a run of gigs at Shelly's Manne-Hole, not because they couldn't find work elsewhere, but rather (as the liner notes put it) for "the pleasure of making music". That's The Way It Is comes from a pair of 1969 shows with a stellar quintet that featured three jazz masters (Teddy Edwards and the two headliners) along with the young up-and-comer Monty Alexander, who would go on to have an impressively long and varied career that is still going strong today. The somewhat obscure Dick Berk manned the drummer's chair, admirably laying down the tempo for this set of hard bop jazz that not surprisingly harkens back to a simpler time of blues-based jazz music. Jackson and Brown's friendship went way back, they first played together in the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie's band from 1946 to 1951. The other members of the rhythm section, not coincidently, were John Lewis and Kenny Clarke, who would soon thereafter go on to form The Modern Jazz Quartet with Jackson, the group for which he is most often associated with. Brown is best known for his enduring work with the Oscar Peterson Trio, whom he played with for nearly fifteen years from 1951 until 1966. Apparently the two men remained close throughout the years, resulting in their yearly meetings at the famous Hollywood jazz club. In addition to this live LP, they would also record a couple of big band albums together for Impulse!, both of which remain pretty obscure. That's The Way It Is finds the pair playing a jazz style that by 1969 had fallen out of favor with the listeners of popular music (at least in terms of record sales), but that's the reason I love a record like this: it gives a sense of what you would find in smaller jazz clubs during this period when this music was supposedly a dying art form. This was a time when post bop, electric jazz and fusion were the stylistic watchwords of the day, so it's nice to see that Impulse! had the sense to record Jackson and Brown playing in a modern jazz style that they once helped to popularize. Even though the record is fairly mellow, the musician's love of the classic jazz sound shines through, and the subtle nature of the music seems a conscious choice against the more in-your-face electric jazz that was gaining momentum all around them. One can imagine the audience members kicking back with their cocktails, nodding their heads in appreciation at the calm and collected grooves being laid down in front of them.

No need to extoll the great talents of Jackson and Brown here, if you are unfamiliar with their work go check out the Modern Jazz Quartet and Oscar Peterson Trio, but a few quick words on Teddy Edwards seem appropriate. By the time of That's The Way It Is he had certainly fallen out of favor with the jazz mainstream, but in the late 1940s he was considered one of the best (if not the most influential) tenor saxophone players along with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray. In 1947 Edwards and Dexter Gordon released the "The Duel", a recording that would cement both men's legendary status in the jazz world. It seems Edwards didn't achieve the same level of fame as his counterparts from the '40s due to his decision to remain in Los Angeles rather than head east, but that would explain Jackson and Brown tapping him to play in their quintet at a Hollywood jazz club, and what better choice for this set of music than a cat like Edwards who by this time had presumably seen and played it all. While the quieter tracks on the album feature some outstanding bass work from Brown (particularly his solo work on "Tenderly"), I'm certainly more partial to the upbeat tracks, in particular "Wheelin' And Dealin'" and the title track that closes out the record. The band swings and there is an instant delight in the interplay between the musicians. Nothing fancy, just some great jazz music. I'll quote Morgan Ames' liner notes again, as he sums up the recording quite well: "This is not experimental jazz. It's beyond that, or as they say in New York, outside that. This is solid, rooted, sweet-smelling earth of an enduring style, as played by masters." Well said, and even if the record labels had already begun to abandon this "enduring style", it's reassuring in hindsight to know that it was still out there, almost underground perhaps, but like the best that art has to offer it was simply biding it's time until the world would be once again ready to embrace it. The Details: An original 1969 pressing on the first version of the "Impulse! ABC Records" label. It is easily dated as pre-1972 by "A Product of ABC Records, Inc. New York, N.Y. 10019 • Made in USA" along the bottom (this would be shortened to differing lengths starting in 1972 until the next label change in 1974). This label version is often considered to be the last if the "audiophile" sounding pressings, although I own some later "neon" and "green bullseye" repressed titles and they sound pretty darn good to my ears (especially at the nice price you can snag em at). http://www.thejazzrecord.com/records/2016/5/29/milt-jackson-quintet-featuring-ray-brown-thats-the-way-it-is

Milt Jackson - Vibes; Ray Brown - Bass; Teddy Edwards - Tenor Sax; Monty Alexander - Piano; Dick Berk - Drums

That's The Way It Is

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Monty Alexander - The Way It Is

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2006/2014
Art: Front

[11:22] 1. People Make The World Go Round
[ 6:34] 2. What Are You Doing With The Rest Of Your Life
[ 4:49] 3. Bluesology
[ 4:18] 4. Soft Winds
[ 8:28] 5. Come Sunday
[ 5:08] 6. That's The Way It Is
[ 5:18] 7. Bossa Nova Do Marilla

Bass – John Clayton; Drums – Jeff Hamilton; Piano – Monty Alexander.

Montgomery Bernard "Monty" Alexander (born 6 June 1944) is a jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies. He was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, and Frank Sinatra. Alexander also sings and plays the melodica. He is known for his surprising musical twists, bright rhythmic sense, and intense dramatic musical climaxes. Monty's recording career has covered many of the well known American songbook standards, jazz standards, pop hits, and Jamaican songs from his original homeland. Alexander has resided in New York City for many years and performs frequently throughout the world at jazz festivals and clubs.

The Way It Is mc
The Way It Is zippy

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Barbara Hendricks & Monty Alexander Trio - Tribute to Duke Ellington

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:13
Size: 175,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:50)  1. Duke's Place
(3:21)  2. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart
(2:54)  3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:46)  4. Prelude to a Kiss
(2:31)  5. Love You Madly
(5:34)  6. I Got It Bad
(5:04)  7. Brown-Skin Gal (In the Calico Gown)
(4:11)  8. Mood Indigo
(4:14)  9. What Am I Here For?
(3:42) 10. In a Sentimental Mood
(5:58) 11. Squeeze Me
(4:05) 12. Sophisticated Lady
(3:36) 13. Take the "A" Train
(3:36) 14. Solitude
(4:06) 15. Come Sunday
(4:18) 16. Caravan
(4:23) 17. Creole Love Call
(4:52) 18. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

Barbara Hendricks is widely regarded as one of the finest American lyric sopranos of her generation, both for her work on the operatic stage and in the concert hall. She possesses a vast repertory in the realm of German lieder and is known for her recitals of American, French and Scandinavian works. She has also sung in performances of Mozart's Mass in C minor, Brahms' Requiem, Mahler's Second Symphony, Del Tredici's Final Alice, and has frequently appeared in jazz concerts as well. In the realm of opera Hendricks has sung a variety of roles, including Pamina from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Gilda (Verdi's Rigoletto), Micaela (Bizet's Carmen), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Mimi and Liu (Puccini's La bohème and Turandot, respectively), and many more. Hendricks has appeared at most of the major operatic venues, including the Met, Paris Opera, La Scala, and Covent Garden. She has made many recordings, from best-selling Christmas CDs and Gershwin song albums to popular Schubert lieder and Verdi opera recordings. She has appeared on nearly 80 recordings spread over a variety of major labels, including DG, Decca, EMI, Sony, Philips, RCA, and Arte Verum. Barbara Hendricks was born in Stephens, AK, on November 20, 1948. After obtaining a degree at the University of Nebraska in chemistry and mathematics, Hendricks studied voice at Juilliard under Jennie Tourel. Hendricks' major debut was in 1974 at the San Francisco Opera in Cavalli's Ormindo as Erisbe, and that same year she made her recital debut at New York's Town Hall. In 1975 she appeared on her first recording (Decca), singing Clara in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Hendricks soon became an international star, receiving a flood of invitations to the major operatic venues, concert halls, and music festivals. Her appearances with Herbert von Karajan (1977) and Leonard Bernstein (1985) were only two of many internationally acclaimed concert tours. From 1987 Hendricks has worked on behalf of refugees, mainly through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. Since her 1994 debut at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Hendricks has regularly appeared at leading jazz festivals throughout the world. In 2006 Hendricks did not renew her contract with EMI, but formed her own label, Arte Verum. Via this new enterprise she appeared on five recordings in 2008, including an acclaimed disc of Poulenc works. A citizen and resident of Sweden, Hendricks married her manager Martin Engström in 1978, and the couple have three children.~ Robert Cummings https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barbara-hendricks-mn0000215176/biography
     
Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander is a sophisticated, prolific performer with an urbane, swinging style informed by the bop tradition, as well as the reggae and Caribbean folk he grew up with. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, Alexander first started playing piano around age four and took classical lessons from age six. By his teens, however, he had discovered jazz and was already performing in nightclubs. Although his early career found him covering pop and rock hits of the day, it was his love of jazz-oriented artists like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole that brought him the most inspiration.

~ Matt Collar..More...  https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography

Tribute to Duke Ellington

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Monty Alexander, Ernest Ranglin - Untitled

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:12
Size: 112.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1981/2014
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Just Friends
[5:52] 2. If I Should Lose You
[4:50] 3. Taboo
[3:44] 4. Cruxian Dance
[4:41] 5. Con Alma
[3:48] 6. Fools Rush In
[5:42] 7. Consider
[5:19] 8. Mountain Melody
[4:31] 9. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[4:53] 10. Fly Me To The Moon

Guitar – Ernest Ranglin; Piano – Monty Alexander. Recorded Dec. 17-18, 1980.

A pioneering force behind the rise of Caribbean music, guitar virtuoso Ernest Ranglin was born in Manchester, Jamaica, in 1932. He began playing ukulele as a boy, soon graduating to guitar; while in his teens he began performing live both locally and in the Bahamas, often in tandem with the young Monty Alexander. Ranglin's session work at the famed Studio One helped give birth to the ska phenomenon, which during the late '50s began taking Jamaica by storm. He finally began attracting international notice in 1964 when he traveled to London to perform at Ronnie Scott's jazz club, so impressing its owner that he remained on as the venue's resident guitarist for the next nine months. There he made a number of solo records for the fledgling Island label, and also collaborated with Prince Buster; additionally, Ranglin teamed with Jamaican singer Millie Small to cut the international smash "My Boy Lollipop." He soon returned to session work, arranging classics including the Melodians' majestic "Rivers of Babylon"; with his guitar leads on the Wailers' "It Hurts to Be Alone," he also laid the foundation for the rise of rockers reggae. Though remaining perhaps best known for his jazz prowess, in the '70s Ranglin toured with Jimmy Cliff; in 1973 he was awarded the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican Government for his contributions to music, and continued touring and recording regularly throughout the decades to follow, most notably signing to Chris Blackwell's newly formed Palm Pictures label to issue 1998's In Search of the Lost Riddim. E.B. @ Noon and Modern Answers to Old Problems arrived two years later, Grooving appeared in early 2001, and Alextown and Surfin' followed a year later by Earth Tones and Innovation. Both were collaborations with Jamaican guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith and American jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter. Ranglin toured sporadically but shied away from recording. The second decade of the 21st century, saw an extensive series of reissues from his early back catalog reissued by several labels including Japan's Dub Store Records. In 2016, at age 84, he embarked on the Ranglin & Friends Farewell Tour accompanied by Courtney Pine, Tony Allen, Cheikh Lo, Ira Coleman, and others. ~ Jason Ankeny

Untitled mc
Untitled zippy

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VA - Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 178:47
Size: 412,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. The Contessa (Makoto Ozone)
(3:39)  2. Blues For Smedley (Robi Botos)
(5:43)  3. Celine's Waltz (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(5:11)  4. Bossa Beguine (Gerald Clayton)
(3:31)  5. Cool Walk (Benny Green)
(8:16)  6. Dream Of Me (Michel Legrand)
(4:34)  7. Sushi (Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap)
(3:00)  8. If I Love Again (Ramsey Lewis)
(3:49)  9. On Danish Shore (Justin Kauflin)
(8:51) 10. Ballad For Benny Carter (Kenny Barron)
(2:28) 11. A Little Jazz Exercise (Makoto Ozone)
(5:56) 12. Tranquille (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:58) 13. Take Me Home (Hiromi)
(3:35) 14. Announcement (Bill Charlap)
(5:20) 15. If You Only Knew (Benny Green)
(6:39) 16. Love Ballade (Renee Rosnes)
(5:22) 17. The Gentle Waltz (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(6:14) 18. Summertime (Justin Kauflin)
(6:22) 19. Laurentide Waltz (Ramsey Lewis)
(4:58) 20. Morning (Gerald Clayton)
(7:59) 21. Harcourt Nights (Michel Legrand)
(4:19) 22. Wheatland (Robi Botos)
(5:11) 23. Why Think About Tomorrow (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(6:28) 24. One For Oscar (Chick Corea)
(5:06) 25. The Smudge (Kenny Barron)
(4:58) 26. Sir Lancewell (Lance Anderson)
(4:13) 27. Dear Oscar (Makoto Ozone)
(6:03) 28. I Remember OP (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(4:03) 29. Oscar's New Camera (Hiromi)
(2:38) 30. OP's Boogie (Lance Anderson)
(4:28) 31. Trust (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:03) 32. Emmanuel (Robi Botos)
(3:13) 33. Look What You’ve Done To Me (Audrey Morris)
(3:16) 34. Goodbye Old Friend (Dave Young)
(5:18) 35. Hymn To Freedom (Gerald Clayton)
(2:29) 36. When Summer Comes (Robi Botos)

To mark the ninetieth anniversary of the legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's birth (August 15, 2015), Peterson's widow, Kelly Peterson, produced a tribute album for the ages: Oscar, with Love, a marvelous three-disc set comprising ten never-before-recorded Peterson compositions, nineteen of his better-known works and seven compositions written especially for him, performed by sixteen contemporary piano masters on Peterson's personal Boesendorfer Imperial piano at his private studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Makoto Ozone has the honor of opening Disc 1 with a warm-hearted reading of Peterson's lovely ballad, "The Contessa." He is followed, in order, by a veritable who's who of noteworthy (no pun intended) keyboard artists: Robi Botos, Oliver Jones, Gerald Clayton, Benny Green, Michel Legrand, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Ramsey Lewis, Justin Kauflin, Kenny Barron, Monty Alexander, Hiromi, Chick Corea, co-producer Lance Anderson and Peterson's close friend, Chicagoan Audrey Morris. While most tracks showcase the solo piano, Peterson's longtime bassist, Dave Young, accompanies Jones ("Celine's Waltz," "Why Think About Tomorrow," "I Remember OP"), Alexander ("Tranquille," "The Gentle Waltz") and performs alone on "Goodbye Old Friend." Morris plays and sings on "Look What You've Done to Me," while Charlap and Rosnes appear separately on "Announcement" and "Love Ballade," respectively, and together on "Sushi."

The songs written for Peterson include Corea's earnest "One for Oscar" (composed especially for this album), and his bravura performance, which leads off Disc 3, is one of the set's myriad highlights. As for others, any song on which Barron, Jones, Legrand, Lewis, Charlap or Rosnes are in the driver's seat is almost by definition a highlight, and none of them is less than inspired, nor are Ozone, Alexander, Anderson, Botos, Clayton, Green, Hiromi, Kauflin or Morris. Jones, who like Peterson was born in Montreal, is closest to his fellow Canadian in spirit, and even though he was roughly eighty years old when the album was recorded, plays with the agility and vigor of someone many years his junior. Lewis, another newly minted octogenarian, shows no deference to Father Time on his opulent features, "If I Love Again" and "Laurentide Waltz," while the (now) eighty four year old Legrand is sublime on "Dream of Me" and "Harcourt Nights." That's not to demean the (relatively) younger lions Botos, Clayton, Hiromi and Kauflin each of whom makes an auspicious impression. And for brio emblematic of Peterson himself, dig Ozone's busy fingers on "Dear Oscar" and "A Little Jazz Exercise." This is an album on which every participant seems entirely aware that he or she is not merely playing another song but is offering his or her homage to one of the most renowned jazz pianists who ever lived. That fondness and appreciation are palpable from start to finish, which is one (of many) reasons why Oscar, with Love is an album to be applauded and treasured. Others include immaculate sound, splendid packaging, erudite and inclusive liner notes by Basie trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, and warm personal remembrances by Peterson's daughter, Celine. An exemplary tribute worthy of the name and the monarch to whom it is inscribed. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/oscar-with-love-oscar-peterson-two-lions-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Monty Alexander: piano; Lance Anderson: piano; Kenny Barron: piano; Robi Botos: piano; Bill Charlap: piano; Gerald Clayton: piano; Chick Corea: piano; Benny Green: piano; Hiromi: piano; Oliver Jones: piano; Justin Kauflin: piano; Michel Legrand: piano; Ramsey Lewis: piano; Audrey Morris: piano, vocal; Makoto Ozone: piano; Renee Rosnes: piano; Dave Young: bass.

Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

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Monty Alexander - Fridaynight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:57
Size: 116,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:01)  1. Catwalk
( 9:50)  2. Never Let Me Go
( 8:28)  3. Renewal
(12:04)  4. Since My Baby Left Me
( 6:41)  5. River
( 4:51)  6. Milestones

Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander is a sophisticated, prolific performer with an urbane, swinging style informed by the bop tradition, as well as the reggae and Caribbean folk he grew up with. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, Alexander first started playing piano around age four and took classical lessons from age six. By his teens, however, he had discovered jazz and was already performing in nightclubs. Although his early career found him covering pop and rock hits of the day, it was his love of jazz-oriented artists like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole that brought him the most inspiration. In 1961, he moved with his family to Miami, Florida to better pursue his musical ambitions. It was there that Alexander met restaurateur and Frank Sinatra associate Jilly Rizzo, who eventually hired him as the house pianist at his New York nightclub, Jilly's. For the next several years, Alexander lived in New York and worked at Jilly's, where had the opportunity to befriend and perform with a bevy of stars including Sinatra, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and others. Buoyed by this success, in 1964 he traveled to Los Angeles, where he recorded several well-received albums for the Pacific Jazz label, including Alexander the Great and Spunky. A handful of additional efforts followed, including 1967's Zing! on RCA and 1969's This Is Monty Alexander on Verve. In 1969 he also appeared on vibraphonist Milt Jackson's That's the Way It Is. In the 1970s, Alexander built a long-lasting relationship with Germany's MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label and released a steady stream of albums, including 1971's Here Comes the Sun, 1974's Perception!, and 1977's Cobilimbo with longtime friend and collaborator Ernest Ranglin. These albums found Alexander pushing his sound in new directions and often combining jazz with elements of the Caribbean musical traditions of his youth. During this period he formed working relationships with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. 

As a trio, they debuted to much acclaim on 1976's Live! Montreux Alexander, and would continue to work together in various configurations over the next several decades. The pianist also continued to record with Milt Jackson, and made appearances on albums by Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, and others. The '80s were also a fruitful period for Alexander, who continued to combine his love of straight-ahead jazz and Caribbean music with the release of such albums as 1983's The Duke Ellington Songbook, 1985's The River, and 1986's Li'l Darlin'. He also reunited with Clayton and Hamilton on 1983's Reunion in Europe and paired with bassist Ray Brown for several dates, including 1985's Full Steam Ahead and 1987's The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio. More albums followed, including 1994's Live at Maybeck and 1995's reggae-inflected Yard Movement. He rounded out the decade with 1997's Frank Sinatra-inspired Echoes of Jilly's and 1999's Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley. n 2000, Alexander's artistic achievements were recognized by the Jamaican government with his designation as a worldwide music ambassador and as Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica. That same year, he collaborated with reggae giants Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, followed in 2001 by Caribbean Duet with pianist Michel Sardaby. He then paired again with Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis for 2002's Triple Scoop and 2003's Straight Ahead. Two tribute sessions followed with 2008's The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and 2009's Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole. Alexander then highlighted his fusion of reggae, ska, R&B, and jazz on 2011's Harlem-Kingston Express and 2014's Harlem-Kingston Express, Vol. 2: River Rolls On, both recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography

Personnel:  Piano – Monty Alexander;  Bass – Reggie Johnson;  Drums – Ed Thigpen

Fridaynight

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Monty Alexander - Perception

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:20
Size: 99,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:17)  1. Concerto d'Aranjuez
(6:46)  2. Ben
(5:00)  3. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
(5:28)  4. Carnival In Jamaica
(6:59)  5. For All We Know
(3:29)  6. Rude Old Man
(8:18)  7. Shaft

Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander is a sophisticated, prolific performer with an urbane, swinging style informed by the bop tradition, as well as the reggae and Caribbean folk he grew up with. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, Alexander first started playing piano around age four and took classical lessons from age six. By his teens, however, he had discovered jazz and was already performing in nightclubs. Although his early career found him covering pop and rock hits of the day, it was his love of jazz-oriented artists like Oscar Peterson, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole that brought him the most inspiration.  In 1961, he moved with his family to Miami, Florida to better pursue his musical ambitions. It was there that Alexander met restaurateur and Frank Sinatra associate Jilly Rizzo, who eventually hired him as the house pianist at his New York nightclub, Jilly's. For the next several years, Alexander lived in New York and worked at Jilly's, where had the opportunity to befriend and perform with a bevy of stars including Sinatra, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, and others. Buoyed by this success, in 1964 he traveled to Los Angeles, where he recorded several well-received albums for the Pacific Jazz label, including Alexander the Great and Spunky. A handful of additional efforts followed, including 1967's Zing! on RCA and 1969's This Is Monty Alexander on Verve. In 1969 he also appeared on vibraphonist Milt Jackson's That's the Way It Is.

In the 1970s, Alexander built a long-lasting relationship with Germany's MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label and released a steady stream of albums, including 1971's Here Comes the Sun, 1974's Perception!, and 1977's Cobilimbo with longtime friend and collaborator Ernest Ranglin. These albums found Alexander pushing his sound in new directions and often combining jazz with elements of the Caribbean musical traditions of his youth. During this period he formed working relationships with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. As a trio, they debuted to much acclaim on 1976's Live! Montreux Alexander, and would continue to work together in various configurations over the next several decades. The pianist also continued to record with Milt Jackson, and made appearances on albums by Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Phyllis Hyman, and others. The '80s were also a fruitful period for Alexander, who continued to combine his love of straight-ahead jazz and Caribbean music with the release of such albums as 1983's The Duke Ellington Songbook, 1985's The River, and 1986's Li'l Darlin'. He also reunited with Clayton and Hamilton on 1983's Reunion in Europe and paired with bassist Ray Brown for several dates, including 1985's Full Steam Ahead and 1987's The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio. More albums followed, including 1994's Live at Maybeck and 1995's reggae-inflected Yard Movement. He rounded out the decade with 1997's Frank Sinatra-inspired Echoes of Jilly's and 1999's Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley. In 2000, Alexander's artistic achievements were recognized by the Jamaican government with his designation as a worldwide music ambassador and as Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica. That same year, he collaborated with reggae giants Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare on Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, followed in 2001 by Caribbean Duet with pianist Michel Sardaby. He then paired again with Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis for 2002's Triple Scoop and 2003's Straight Ahead. Two tribute sessions followed with 2008's The Good Life: Monty Alexander Plays the Songs of Tony Bennett and 2009's Calypso Blues: The Songs of Nat King Cole. Alexander then highlighted his fusion of reggae, ska, R&B, and jazz on 2011's Harlem-Kingston Express and 2014's Harlem-Kingston Express, Vol. 2: River Rolls On, both recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/monty-alexander-mn0000589256/biography

Personnel:  Piano – Monty Alexander;  Bass – Eugene Wright;  Drums – Bobby Durham.

Perception

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Monty Alexander - Triple Treat III

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 130,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. I Told You I Love You, Now Get
(5:15)  2. Secret Love
(4:23)  3. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(7:54)  4. High Heel Sneakers
(8:45)  5. Renewal
(5:16)  6. I Love You
(6:15)  7. My One And Only Love
(7:35)  8. Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
(5:00)  9. There Will Never Be Another You

Recorded at the sessions that resulted in Triple Treat II, this Concord release follows the same format with the trio of pianist Monty Alexander, guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown being joined by violinst John Frigo for around half of the selections. The music consists of boppish interpretations of standards ranging from "I Told You I Love You, Now Get Out," and "High Heel Sneakers" to "Corcovado." Fans of these veteran players will be very satisfied with the results. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/triple-treat-vol-3-mw0000202516   

Personnel: Monty Alexander (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), John Frigo (violin).         

Triple Treat III

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Monty Alexander, Ray Brown & Herb Ellis - Triple Treat II

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:35
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Lined With A Groove
(8:09)  2. Straighten Up And Fly Right
(6:51)  3. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:40)  4. Seven Come Eleven
(6:10)  5. Fred
(5:59)  6. Smile
(6:28)  7. I'll Remember April
(5:12)  8. PolkaDots And Moonbeams
(5:43)  9. Lester Leaps In

Five years after the original Triple Treat, pianist Monty Alexander has a reunion with guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown in a program that is in the tradition of both Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole. A special bonus is violinist John Frigo who sits in on four of the eight songs. Highpoints include Ray Brown's "Lined with a Groove," "Straighten up and Fly Right," "Seven Come Eleven" and "Lester Leaps In." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/triple-treat-vol-2-mw0000199080

Personnel: Monty Alexander (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), John Frigo (violin)               

Triple Treat II

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Monty Alexander - Triple Treat I

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:14
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. (Meet The) Flinstones
(6:11)  2. Body And Soul
(3:53)  3. Small Fry
(6:52)  4. When Lights Are Low
(6:33)  5. Triple Treat Blues
(3:49)  6. Fungi Mama
(5:53)  7. Sweet Lady
(4:59)  8. But Not For Me

One can excuse pianist Monty Alexander if his playing on this Concord set recalls Oscar Peterson, for his sidemen in the trio are Oscar Peterson-alumni guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown. The combination lives up to its potential with the group romping on such songs as "The Flintstones," Blue Mitchell's "Fungi Mama," and an up-tempo "Small Fry." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/triple-treat-vol-1-mw0000196799

Personnel: Monty Alexander (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass)      

Triple Treat I

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Monty Alexander Quintet - Island Grooves: Ivory & Steel And Jamboree Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Island Grooves:  Ivory & Steel   Disc 1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 113,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Happy Lypso
(4:01)  2. Cavatina
(5:40)  3. Montevideo
(4:55)  4. S. K. J.
(4:16)  5. That's The Way It Is
(6:29)  6. Work Song
(3:48)  7. Medley: Impressions/So What
(7:25)  8. Stella By Starlight
(3:41)  9. Street Life

I don't often review reissues, but here's a particular noteworthy re-release of two albums that somehow escaped my attention in the 80s, especially being the steel drum lover that I am. Concord has launched a reissue series which pairs two similar albums by an artist on a specially-priced 2-CD set. In this case, it's Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander's collaborations with steel drum virtuoso Othello Molineaux, 1980'sIvory & Steeland 1988'sJamboree. These discs will be immensely satisfying both to lovers of straight-ahead jazz and lovers of Caribbean music. The first disc,Ivory & Steel, is a blend of Alexander originals and jazz standards. Most tunes are fast, upbeat, and happy. Alexander and Molineaux are amazing both in terms of their fleet-fingered dexterity and for their intelligent, well-crafted improvizations, especially on Richard Evans' "Montevideo" and the medley of Coltrane's "Impressions" and Miles' "So What." "Cavatina" provides a break with it's gentle, almost crying balladry, as does the blues-drenched "That's the Way It Is." The first disc closes with an unexpected choice, Joe Sample and Will Jennings' "Street Life" - but the Crusaders' vocal R&B hit is adapted to this setting nicely as a duet with only Alexander's piano buoyed by Robert Thomas, Jr.'s percussion. The second disc,Jamboree, features a higher proportion of Alexander originals (great tunes), plus a couple Jamaican folk songs. The musical emphasis here is less on straight-ahead jazz and more on Caribbean music and adapted pop tunes (Vincent Ford's "No Woman No Cry" and Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi"), but the end result is every bit as musically satisfying. Also on board is a second steel drummer, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe. On some occasions, the songs are enhanced by the rich sonorities of lower-pitched pans. An uncredited vocalist (probably Alexander) enlivens the two Jamaican folk songs, the opener "Sly Mongoose" and the closer "Linstead Market" - both tunes are fun and add to the Caribbean flavor and authenticity of the program. (Concord Picante CCD2-4940) ~ Dave Huges https://www.allaboutjazz.com/island-grooves-monty-alexander-concord-music-group-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel: Monty Alexander - piano; Othello Molineaux, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe - steel drums; Robert Thomas, Jr. - percussion; Frank Gant, Marvin "Smitty" Smith - drums; Gerald Wiggins, Marshall Wood - bass; Bernard Montgomery - electric bass.

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Album: Island Grooves: Jamboree   Disc 2

Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:08
Size: 123,3 MB

(4:01)  1. Sly Mongoose
(6:35)  2. Think Twice
(3:56)  3. No Woman No Cry
(5:08)  4. Look Up
(4:57)  5. Accompong
(5:22)  6. You Can See
(4:24)  7. Big Yellow Taxi
(4:07)  8. Reggae Later
(6:15)  9. Crying
(4:18) 10. Linstead Market

Island Grooves:Jamboree Disc 1, Disc 2

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