LP Review: molt bé*, a top class Euro-US jazz act, Tete Montoliu Trio – Catalonian Fire (1974)
STEEPLECHASE, 1975 JAPAN RE-ISSUE RJ-6014 STEREO (SCS-1017)
*means ‘very good’ in Catalan
Artist
I must admit that until Yassine handed me this record I never heard of Tete Montoliu. He has an unusual backstory.
Tete Montoliu (1933-1997) originated from Spain. Born blind, he learned to read music in braille when he was seven and developed an impressive piano technique. He recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1956, had his first session as a leader in 1958 and toured with other bands and artists such as Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson and Anthony Braxton.
Niels Henning (1946-2005) I am very familiar with, mainly from his work with Oscar Peterson. He was a double bass player extraordinaire with a keen sense for rhythm, speed, propulsion, and melody.
Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath is an American jazz drummer and the only surviving member of this trio. In 2021 he was awarded (for the third time) the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award. Here is a short article with a very cool picture of him. On our review album cover, he looks like he is sipping an espresso :-). He played with the greats and performed on more than 350 albums. More about him here.
Label
Starting in Denmark, SteepleChase Records is a rather famous label in jazz circles. Founded in 1972 by Nils Winther, the label featured a mix of established artists and upcoming stars. From jazz greats like Chet Baker, Clifford Jordan, Jackie McLean, Dexter Gordon, and others, to folks like René McLean (son of Jackie McLean), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen & others…
Originally Nils Winther intended to release recordings from visiting Americans who performed at the legendary Jazzhus (or Café) Montmartre – which is still open btw – but SteepleChase also recorded and released the jazz coming out of Europe. You can read an interview with Nils HERE.
Music
Recorded in Copenhagen (Denmark), on May 26, 1974, this is a top-of-the-line jazz trio. Tete has a well-articulated style that is slightly percussive and free-flowing. His notes are clear. He likes right-hand runs over the higher registers but he never gets into piano pyrotechnics and always stays under control and in tune with the music.
As a trio, this group works very well. Niels Henning really needs no introduction – he is always melodic and plays interesting patterns. There is some emphasis on the drummer, Tootie Heath, who gets numerous solos. I am not sure this always works but others may disagree. SteepleChase is well known for its quality pressings and good sound. The piano is notoriously difficult to record. The instrument has such intricate harmonics, on a lot of records it just does not sound natural. SteepleChase did a very good job creating a believable piano sound on this record – I have heard better but it’s good.
This is a fairly long album with over 57 min. of music and fortunately for us, it’s a very entertaining listen. For example, the band did a surprising and almost avant-garde version of the Charlie Parker standard ‘Au Privave“. This and the lively interplay between the trio makes you want to come back for more from Tete Montoliu. Listen for yourself:
RAW Store
RAW has this Japanese re-issue available online and in the store for 100 AED and given the storied label, the music and the quality of the recording it’s well worth it in my opinion. It comes with Obi and insert and is in great shape.
Tracks
01. Sweet Georgie Fame
02. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
03. Blues For Perla
04. Falling In Love With Love
05. Old Folks
06. Au Privave
07. Body And Soul
Personnel
Tete Montoliu, piano
Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, bass
Albert ‘Tootie’ Heath, drums