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Monty Alexander: Monty Meets Sly & Robbie

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s

Artist: Monty Alexander
Title: Monty Meets Sly & Robbie
Released: 2000.04.25
Label: Telarc Jazz
Time: 51:19
Producer(s): Robbie Shakespeare
Appears with:
Category: Jazz
Rating: ********.. (8/10)
Media type: CD
Purchase date:  2001.11.17
Price in €: 9,81
Web address: www.montyalexander.com

 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Chamelon (Hancock/Jackson/Mason/Mauphin) - 5:08
[2] Monty's Groove (Alexander) - 5:25
[3] Soulful Strut (Record/Sanders) - 5:21
[4] The "In" Crowd (Page) - 5:14
[5] Sidewinder (Morgan) - 5:01
[6] People Make the World Go Round (Bell/Creed) - 5:11
[7] (Do the) Kool Step (Alexander) - 4:28
[8] Moanin' (Timmons) - 5:06
[9] Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (Zawinul) - 4:36
[10] Hot Milk (Dodd/Mitto) - 5:49

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


MONTY ALEXANDER - Melodica, Grand Piano
SLY DUNBAR - Drums, Rhythm, Producer, Drum Programming
ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE - Bass

JAY DAVIDSON - Saxophone
HANDEL TUCKER - Keyboards
STEVE JANKOWSKI - Trumpet
DESMOND JONES - Drum Fills

PATRICK LINDSAY - Project Producer
ROBERT WOODS - Executive Producer
ANILDA CARRASQUILLO - Art Direction, Cover Design
DANIEL NEVINS - Illustrations
RUTH PHILLIPS - Technician

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2000 CD Telarc 83494



Jazz purists may turn up the nose at this jazz-reggae summit meeting, but that's their loss. It's not that they wouldn't have the right to be suspicious — experiments in jazz-reggae fusion do not have a distinguished history. But the combination of Jamaican-born jazz pianist Monty Alexander and reggae godfathers Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare works beautifully here for a number of reasons: first of all, Alexander is a gifted melodist with an unerring sense of groove (not always a given with jazz players), and second of all, Sly and Robbie emancipated themselves long ago from reggae's rhythmic strictures, so there's lots of variety on this album. The grooves are never less than bone deep: on "Monty's Groove," Shakespeare's minimalist bassline and Dunbar's funky drumming propel Alexander into inspired (if a bit restrained) flights of improvisation, and "People Make the World Go 'Round" is a slow, dark dancehall workout that gives Alexander's piano lots of open space to work with. "Hot Milk," the album's closer, is a touching tribute to the late reggae organist Jackie Mittoo, on which Alexander plays mournful melodica over a modified rocksteady beat. There are times when you might wish Alexander would cut loose and wail a bit more, but this album is a delight from beginning to end.

Rick Anderson, All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



For much of his career, the Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander has been swinging jazz rhythms and dropping Jamaican "riddims." Monty Alexander Meets Sly and Robbie combines his Nat "King" Cole/Bill Doggett-influenced pianisms with longtime friends Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, whose signature drum machine programming, booming bass lines, and ambient sound effects provided the sonic signature of dancehall music--the forerunner of rap and hip-hop. Alexander and this dynamic duo, augmented by keyboardist Handel Tucker, "Jamaicanize" several soul-jazz classics--including Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder," Bobby Timmons's "Moanin'," and Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon"--into a unique worldbeat statement. The CD also features Alexander's own island-breezed compositions, "Monty's Groove," "Do the Kool Step," and "Hot Milk"--the lattermost highlighting the leader's plaintive melodic playing. The standout track on the recording, a moving rendition of the Stylistics' hit, "People Make the World Go Round," offers funky and folkloric proof that music from the English-speaking Caribbean has rich possibilities for jazz improvisation.

Eugene Holley Jr., Amazon.com



Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare - Sly & Robbie - have been hitting the reggae-loving world with their deep, telepathic grooves for decades. Now with Jamaican jazz pianist monty alexander, they are posed to make an impact on jazz fans, too. 'For the last few years, Sly and I have been saying, 'Man, it would be great to do something together,'' says Alexander, whose last recording, Stir It Up, was a tribute to Bob Marley. ''Let's pick some of the classic rhythm-and-blues, jazz-flavored tunes that have rhythms and grooves.' When the original artists did them, they too were looking for a groove and did it their way. We've blended my piano approach with what Sly & Robbie do - that street- level vibe.' The resulting album, Monty Meets Sly & Robbie, presents tunes such as Art Blakey's 'Moanin',' Ramsey Lewis' 'The In Crowd,' and the original 'Monty's Groove.' "

JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.



The Return of Jamaica's Funk Soul Brothers!

On Monty Meets Sly and Robbie, pianist and Kingston, Jamaica native Monty Alexander teams up with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare--reggae's most respected and experienced rhythm section--to create a killer combination of classic soul tunes, funky jazz and modern grooves with a hardcore, dub flavor.

Sophisticated and down-to-earth, Monty Meets Sly and Robbie crafts its own blend of jazzy soul infused with fresh beats and a stripped-to-the-bone sound. Rousing takes on Joe Zawinul's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Stylistics "People Make The World Go Round," Ramsey Lewis' "The In Crowd," Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon," and other numbers from the late '50s and '60s, connect Alexander not only to jazz, but to an equally worthy legacy of soul.

Telarc publicity , April 25, 2000



Monty Alexander came to Miami from Jamaica in 1960, when his mother moved the family in search of work, and while he became fully acclimatised to the north American jazz style, his albums have made frequent reference to the music of his homeland. In his last few records, propelled by a feeling that the old jazz community of New York has faded away, he has sought kinship with such compatriots as Ernest Ranglin, and here the Jamaican flavour is more pronounced than ever. Admirers of Monty's straight-ahead playing may find it hard to identify with the particular swing of the island rhythms, and Sly and Robbie's electric drum patterns can sound stiff, thin and synthetic, but the mood is relaxed, and in interpretations of such standards as "Chameleon", "The In Crowd", "Sidewinder", "Moanin'" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" Monty brings to bear his jazz know-how, laying fluent bebop over the lazy shuffle beats.

Mark Gilbert, Amazon.co.uk



Während eines großen Teils seiner Karriere hat der in Jamaika geborene Pianist Monty Alexander in Jazzrhythmen und in Jamaika-Rhythmen geschwelgt. Monty Alexander Meets Sly and Robbie verbindet seinen von Nat "King" Cole und Bill Doggett beeinflussten Stil am Klavier mit seinen langjährigen Freunden Sly Dunbar und Robbie Shakespeare, deren charakteristische Schlagzeug-Programmierung, hämmernde Bass-Passagen und schwebende Klangeffekte die typische Klangwelt der Disco-Tanzmusik ausmachten -- die Vorläufer des Hip Hop. Alexander und dieses dynamische Duo, verstärkt von Handel Tucker am Keyboard, "jamaikanisieren" verschiedene Klassiker des Soul und des Jazz -- einschließlich Lee Morgans "The Sidewinder", Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'" und Herbie Hancocks "Chameleon" -- und machen daraus eine einzigartige Worldbeat-Aussage. Die CD präsentiert auch Alexanders eigene Kompositionen mit dem Hauch der Insel "Monty's Groove", "Do the Kool Step" und "Hot Milk" -- das letztere unterstreicht das klagend melodische Spiel des Bandleaders. Das herausragende Stück auf dieser Platte ist eine bewegende Wiedergabe des Hits der Stylistics "People Make the World Go Round", der mit Funk und Folklore den Beweis dafür liefert, dass Musik aus der englischsprachigen Karibik ungeahnte Möglichkeiten für Jazz-Improvisationen bietet.

Eugene Holley Jr., Amazon.de



Pianist Monty Alexander follows up Stir It Up, his 1999 Bob Marley tribute, with an album that explores his personal Jamaican heritage. Alexander's Oscar Peterson-influenced bop lines float over reggae beats, dub flavors and soul grooves provided by reggae legends Sly Dunbar (drums) and Robbie Shakespeare (bass). The three go the jazz route, jamming on material popularized by the likes of Herbie Hancock ("Chameleon"), Art Blakey ("Moanin'") and Cannonball Adderly ("Mercy, Mercy, Mercy").

Tad Hendrickson: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 665 - May 08, 2000
© 1978-1999 College Media Inc. All rights reserved.



Monty Alexander wurde 1944 in Kingston, Jamaika geboren. Er begann in lokalen Calypso- und R&B-Bands zu spielen, bevor er von Amerika aus eine steile Karriere als Jazz-Pianist startete. Aufbauend auf die Tradition von Nat King Cole, führt Alexander die von Erroll Garner oder Oscar Peterson eingeschlagene Jazz-Piano-Trio-Linie fort. Frank Sinatra meinte einst: "Dieser Junge ist wie Sprengstoff." Für Dave Brubeck ist er schlicht und ergreifend ein "Klavier-Fuchs".

Robbie Shakespeare wurde 1953 in Kingston, Jamaika geboren. Als Bassist und Produzent war er an einer Unmenge von Reggae- und Rock-Einspielungen beteiligt. Nicht nur Joan Armatrading sondern auch Mick Jagger wollten nicht auf die Dienste des Black-Uhuru-Mannes verzichten.

Sly Dunbar wurde 1952 in Kingston, Jamaika geboren. Der Schlagzeuger gillt als rechte Hand von Robbie Shakespeare und war für Peter Tosh, The Mighty Diamonds, Bob Dylan, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, Herbie Hancock oder Carly Simon aktiv.

Das Dreier-Gestirn aus Jamaika trifft sich nun bei Monty Meets Sly And Robbie und serviert dabei eine exklusive Mischung aus Reggae, Jazz, Rock, Funk, Calypso und Soul. Unterstützt werden die Superstars dabei von Keyboarder Handel Tucker sowie Percussionist Desmond Jones und heraus kam dabei ein höchst hitverdächtiges Album. Denn die Cover-Versionen von Klassikern wie Mercy, Mercy (Joe Zawinul), People Make The World Go Round (The Stylistics), The In Crowd (Ramsey Lewis) oder Chameleon (Herbie Hancock) hat man so groovend und Dub-mäßig pulsierend noch nie gehört. Monty Alexander hat damit sich und sein 1999-er Album Stir It Up – The Music Of Bob Marley noch einmal übertroffen.

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