Search - Monty Alexander :: Alexander the Great!

Monty Alexander- The Legendary MPS Recordings

Charles Andrew Whitehead | Fort Worth, Texas | 11/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This artist's fans have been waiting a long time for these justly famous MPS sessions (Musik Produktion Scharzwald) to appear on CD. Although recorded more than 30 years ago it all still sounds fantastic and the clarity on this issue gives us more music! These are not Monty's complete MPS recordings as Rass (1973), Rangylypso (1974 recorded at the same time as "Love and Sunshine" under Ernest Ranglin's leadership), Live In Montreux (1976 re-released separately with bonus material), Cobilimbo (1977), Monty Alexander and Ernest Ranglin (1980 duet album), the Duke Ellington Songbook (1983 duets with bassist John Clayton), and most of Estade (Monty's 1977 vocal tribute to Nat Cole) are all omitted from this set, presumably to be reissued later in a set emphazing the Jamaican roots of his playing. The present set places the emphasis squarely on the incredible jazz trio and quartet (with guitarist Ernest Ranglin) recordings from the 70s.



In 1999, the MPS Archive was handed over to Universal Jazz in Hamburg, Germany so this music has been slow to emerge domestically.



"Love and Sunshine" was previously released on a 2 CD German import called Three Originals (including Cobilimbo and Estate) and half of "Rass" was available on the import CD Ernest Ranglin "Now Is The Time- The Legendary MPS Recordings". Of the original albums included on this 4CD set, only "We've Only Just Begun" is available separately and as a Japanese import, although there is a CD called "The Way It Is" which is just a re-release of material on the live at E.J.'s "Just In Time" 2CD and has nothing to do with the MPS album of the same name. Likewise, the first of Monty's 2 Pacific Jazz albums (his very first records as leader) is a live album called "Alexander The Great" and has nothing to do with this MPS set with identical name. Oh well, let's be grateful for what we have as this music fills in an important part of the Montgomery Bernard Alexander discography.



Features of a Monty Alexander set will typically include some killer blues (eg. Bluesology from 1976), rhythm changes- often a la "Fungi Mama" (Caribbean flava), meltingly exquisite ballad playing, calypso tunes which highlight a distinctive rhythmic approach, songs associated with Sinatra, Ellington or Bob Marley, and highly original arrangements of pop tunes (Love Story Theme 1971, Here Comes The Sun 1971, the Carpenters "For All We Know" 1973, Feel Like Makin' Love 1974, People Make The World Go Around 1979, Sexual Healing 2002 etc.). "You'll Never Find A Love Like Mine" and especially "Everything Must Change" are similarly impressive covers on the Verve CD "Live In Holland". His solo introductions to songs are often miniature masterpieces in themselves, some notable examples being Rodrigo's "Concerto D'Aranjuez" (Perception 1973), "Never Let Me Go" (Friday Night 1985) and "Estate" (Estate 1985 on Arco label). Bop, blues, R and B and Caribbean roots are evident throughout his playing and he is a master chordal as well as linear improvisor.



Here are a few details on the original albums that make up this 4CD boxed set.



HERE COMES THE SUN 1971- For me, together with "Perception" and "The Way It Is" the main reason this set is worth acquiring. It unfolds as a great album and yet the individual songs each stand out in their way. Kicking off with Richard Evans "Montevideo" (also great on "Monty Alexander in Tokyo") and ending with a powerful rendition of "So What?", the record never loses its vitality of expression. The title cut is a genius reworking and few jazz players who cover Beatles tunes are as successful. A great album featuring Eugene Wright on bass, drummer Duffy Jackson and Joe Montego on congas, featured on "So What?"



WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN 1971 With "Senator" Eugene Wright on bass and Bobby Durham on drums, this is live, raw, hardswingin' stuff! Eugene Wright is a magnificent and distinguished player (still active in his 80s as of this writing) and Bobby Durham is a pile driving maniac! Hear Monty's resourcefulness in the vamps between choruses as he builds the tension to breaking point. "Monticello" is great accoustic funk by the trio. The original cover art is a hilarious period portrait of these three gifted men.



PERCEPTION 1973 Once again Eugene and Bobby are Monty's counterparts and he describes their playing together in the liner notes as "like an explosion". The album begins with a magically worked out arrangement of Concerto D'Aranjuez. One can't help noticing Bobby Durham's groove and fills which greatly add to the excitement. Though not quite as consistent overall as the previous albums (I'm not entirely convinced by the "Shaft" Theme), this has music on it that you definitely won't want to miss. "Ben" for one is transformed into an emotional tour-de-force reaching a height of eloquence and imaginative color. The Carpenter's "For All We Know" is a jewel and Eugene's bass here sounds so gorgeous it lends a kind of chamber-music like ambience to the ensemble.



LOVE AND SUNSHINE 1974 This and the next album form part of the 1974 sessions at the Brunner-Schwer MPS Studio in Villingen, Germany where Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, George Shearing and others had recorded. The session became 3 albums. It was recorded for a relaxed studio audience with fellow Jamaican, guitarist Ernest Ranglin, bassist Eberhard Weber and drummer Kenny Clare who totally embraced the chameleon like sensibilities of the leader. Some great bop playing by Ranglin and his compatriot and Monty's chops and imagination simmer! I love the easy groove of "Feel Like Makin' Love" and how Monty plays around it. This session also gave birth to Ernest Ranglin's "Ranglypso" LP (not included here) which included a different version of "Feel Like Makin' Love" with Monty playing Rhodes.



MONTY STRIKES AGAIN (UNLIMITED LOVE) 1974 More from the previous session with a striking "Chameleon" and an interesting period piece "The Entertainer" (the movie "The Sting" was then current) where Monty shows off his stride chops. Monty can funk it up with the best of them! As in the last session, the sound quality is excellent and Monty insists in the notes that this was due to the mic placement. The original album is split between the 3rd and 4th CDs of this set.



THE WAY IT IS 1976 featuring Jeff Hamilton and John Clayton in a live setting. The outstanding track is the Stylistics "People Make The World Go Around"- simply a masterpiece. I love being able to hear with clarity everything that's going on during the great bass solo. "Bluesology" features primo blues playing from the Trio that recorded at Montreux later that same year. This classic version of the Monty Alexander Trio was a unit for 3 years but they have reunited on various occasions. The cover art on the CD box is derived from the original cover art.



ESTADE 1977 (3 cuts only)- You're My Everything, Estate, Got To Go. This album was the equivalent of Oscar's "Respect To Nat" record meaning that Monty sang most of the tunes but was accompanied by guitar, bass and conga drums as one hears in Nat Cole and the early Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal groups. Two cuts here are instrumental but "Estate" is sung by Monty as a vocalese. He was one of the first champions of this standard and it reached a peak in a version from another live album called "Estate" (Arco label 1985) featuring John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton in Philadelphia. Ernest Ranglin was again featured guitarist on this 1977 session, Andy Simkins bass and Charles Campbell played congas. "You're My Everything", a Nat Cole vehicle was recorded by Monty on "Zing" (1967) in a great relaxed swing version but here it is played more uptempo. The song also makes an appearance on "A Ray Brown 3" with Sam Most on flute but I believe that it is the version on "Zing" that most rivals Freddie Hubbard's version on the "Hubtones" album. This 1977 session also yielded the album "Cobilimbo" (not included here) but with the addition of Frank Gant on drums. It was one of his first attempts to blend jazz with his Jamaican heritage as an album concept and featured his first recorded Bob Marley cover, "Jammin'".



This issue is self recommending and a great way to let music lift your spirits. You seriously haven't lived until you have heard this music!"