Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

MONTOLIU, Tete

(b Vincente Montoliu, 28 March '33, Barcelona, Spain; d there Aug. '97) Pianist. Born blind; became interested in jazz listening to Duke Ellington records; began slowly in Spain's meagre jazz scene, accompanying visiting stars like Don Byas; as an excellent, unpretentious soloist and perennial accompanist became a top European star. On Spanish Ensayo label with Eric Peter on bass, Peer Wyboris on drums, he backed Lucky Thompson '70 and played on Ben Webster's last studio session '72 (later on Nessa as Body And Soul and Did You Call? respectively); also Ben Webster Meets Don Byas '68 on MPS (with Al Heath on drums, Peter Trunk on bass); recorded with Lionel Hampton '56, Roland Kirk '63, Anthony Braxton '74 (sounding furiously up-to-date on Braxton's In The Tradition), etc. With these and other bassists and drummers incl. Billy Higgins, George Mraz, Sam Jones, Niels-Henning ]asO[rsted Pedersen etc he made a score of trio albums on Timeless, Steeplechase and other labels. Solo piano albums incl. Interpreta a Serrat '69 on Discophon; Songs For Love '71 on Enja; That's All '71, Music For Perla '74, Words Of Love '76, Boston Concert '80, all on Steeplechase; Yellow Dolphin Street and Catalonian Folksongs '77 on Timeless; Lunch In L.A. '79 on Contemporary adds Chick Corea on one track for a piano duo. Temi Latino Americani and Temi Brasiliani '73, Boleros '77 on Ensayo add Latin percussion to the trio; he also recorded in Latin style as Tete Montoliu y su Conjunto Tropical. There are also four vols of The Music I Like To Play on Soul Note, A Spanish Treasure on Concord with Rufus Reid and Akira Tana, two vols of Sweet 'N' Lovely on Fresh Sound with Mundell Lowe, The Man From Barcelona '90 etc. He suffered from increasing deafness and cancer.