Blues Tete Montoliu

This aptly named set was recorded on November 28, 1972, in Barcelona, Spain. Although many of Ben Webster's European sessions suffered when compared to his American ones, this outing is one of the exceptions, due in no small part to the fluid piano work of Tete Montoliu. Supported by a rhythm section of Eric Peter on bass and Peer Wyboris on drums, both Webster and Montoliu have plenty of room to breathe, and the result is a wonderful and pleasant set highlighted by the opening track, "Ben's Blues," and an easy, elegant version of "Sweet Georgia Brown." Webster's trademark breathy tenor sax tone is in full supply here, but the real revelation is Montoliu, who proves to be a marvelous jazz pianist, making Gentle Ben somewhat of an overlooked gem.

Tete Montoliu - Montoliu plays Tete (2006) {2CD Set & Comic Book, DiscMedi Blau DM4095}
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© 2006 DiscMedi Blau | DM 4095
Jazz / Hard Bop / Post Bop / Piano

An outstanding veteran pianist from Spain, Tete Montoliu was born blind. He learned to read music in Braille when he was seven and developed impressive technique on piano. He recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1956, had his first session as a leader in 1958, and played with the touring Roland Kirk in 1963. Through the years, he also worked with such visiting Americans as Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson, and even Anthony Braxton. Tete Montoliu's visits to the U.S. were very infrequent, but his SteepleChase albums (starting in 1971) are generally available; he also cut one date for Contemporary (1979) and recorded for Enja and Soul Note.

The blind Catalonian pianist Tete Montoliu is in great form on this 1977 session recorded in Spain, accompanied by bassist Eric Peter and drummer Peer Wyboris. He shows off his tremendous chops in a roller coaster treatment of the bittersweet ballad "You've Changed," then switches to a jaunty mood for a brisk treatment of "It Could Happen to You." Wyboris kicks off the thunderous take of Jimmy Heath's "Jimmy's Tempo," a passionate hard bop vehicle. But the primary focus of this CD consists of four original blues penned by the pianist. It seems likely that at least some of them were improvised on the date, though "Blues for Coltrane" seems to draw inspiration from the late tenor saxophonist's rapid-fire live solos that left little open space. "Blues for Myself," the centerpiece of the release, seems closely related to "You've Changed," though the chord progressions do vary. Released by the Spanish label Ensayo, this disc is worth acquiring.

Tete Montoliu - It's About Blues Time (1971) {Ensayo–Fresh Sound FSR-CD305 rel 1997}
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© 1971, 1997 Ensayo / Fresh Sound Records | FSR-CD305
Jazz / Hard Bop / Modal Music / Piano

An outstanding veteran pianist from Barcelona (Spain), Tete Montoliu was born blind. By the mid-50s he was regularly sitting in with visiting American artists, including Lionel Hampton. By the end of the decade he had ventured north to play at a number of important European jazz festivals and had also played in Scandinavia. Montoliu's own recording career began in 1958, and he was to prove a prolific recording artist.

Reedición del álbum “Per sempre, Tete” grabado en la Jazz Cava de Terrassa el 6 de Marzo de 1997, durante el concierto celebrado dentro del XVI Festival internacional de Jazz de Terrassa con el genio barcelonés Tete Montoliu al piano, Horacio Fumero al contrabajo y Peer Wyboris a la batería. Interpretan dos suites, la primera en memoria de Thelonius Monk bautizada como ‘Monkiana’ y la segunda ‘Pensando en Coltrane’. Presentado en formato de digipack cuadrado desplegable, a modo de mini replica de vinilo, incluyendo un libreto de 12 páginas con textos en español e inglés.

Tete Montoliu - Boston Concert, Volume 1 (1980) {SteepleChase SCCD 31152 rel 1997}
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© 1980, 1997 SteepleChase | SCCD 31152
Jazz / Modal Music / Post Bop / Piano

This solo recording of the blind Catalan Jazz Pianist Tete Montoliu was recorded in 1980 at Boston University, Massachusetts. The first thing to say about these recordings is that Piano sounds very good for a live recording. Montoliu is a verstile Pianist, one minute he'll be playing in a modern idiom, and in next moment bluesy or then maybe bebop.

Mestre i deixeble s’uneixen per signar una peça única en la discografia jazzística catalana. Tete Montoliu al piano elèctric i Jordi Sabatés a l’acústic culminen un treball intens i controvertit alhora. El disc Vampyria, enregistrat el juliol de 1974, va ser escollit per la revista Jaç núm. 25 ( "Els 100 millors discos del jazz català" ) com el treball que encapçalava una llista valorativa de 100 referències del jazz dels Països Catalans. Vampyria és el resultat de combinar tradició i transgressió amb uns signes d’identitat pròpia absolutament irrefutables.

Tete Montoliu - Tootie's Tempo (1976) {SteepleChase SCCD-31108 rel 1987}
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© 1976, 1987 SteepleChase | SCCD-31108
Jazz / Hard Bop / Piano

Tete Montoliu's sixth release for Steeplechase is a very rewarding studio date, with the blind pianist being accompanied by bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. Fans of hard bop will enjoy the extended opener, "Invitation," which gives each of the musicians an opportunity to solo. The fireworks continue with a lively interpretation of "Lover Man," which starts with Montoliu's virtuoso solo introduction. John Coltrane's "Some Other Blues" is also fertile ground for the trio's improvisations, as is J. J. Johnson's pretty ballad "Lament." The pianist turns on the afterburners as he launches his furious original "Tootie's Tempo." The closer is a rich arrangement of "Darn That Dream." This CD is highly recommended, as are all of Tete Montoliu's recordings for Steeplechase.

In August 1995, two generations of jazz made in our dollars come together at the Cafe Central in Madrid, around a shared intuition. The idea came from a chance encounter on the same stage a year earlier, from which Tete Montoliu and Javier Colina decide to re-experience the feeling of playing together, without any trial whatsoever. Fans familiar with the intention that this apparent nonchalance hides, the way jazz musicians are measured at a meeting of this kind.

Tete Montoliu Trio - Music For Anna (1993) {Mas i Mas Records 002 rec 1992}
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© 1993 Mas i Mas Records | 002
Jazz / Post Bop / Modal Music / Piano Trio

An outstanding veteran pianist from Spain, Tete Montoliu was born blind. He learned to read music in Braille when he was seven and developed impressive technique on piano. He recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1956, had his first session as a leader in 1958, and played with the touring Roland Kirk in 1963. Through the years, he also worked with such visiting Americans as Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson, and even Anthony Braxton. Tete Montoliu's visits to the U.S. were very infrequent, but his SteepleChase albums (starting in 1971) are generally available; he also cut one date for Contemporary (1979) and recorded for Enja and Soul Note.