Tete Montoliu: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Spanish jazz pianist (1933–1997)}}

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| caption = Montoliu (left), with [[Bobby Hutcherson]] at [[Kuumbwa Jazz Center]], Santa Cruz, California, 14 May 1984

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| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Vicente Montolíu Massana

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1933|3|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = [[Catalonia]], Spain

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|8|24|1933|3|28|df=y}}

| death_place =

| genre = [[Jazz]]

| years_active =

| label =

| associated_acts =

'''Vicenç Montoliu i Massana''',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tete-montoliu-mn0000024907|title=Tete Montoliu Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125103405/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tete-montoliu-mn0000024907|url-status=live}}</ref> better known as '''Tete Montoliu''' (28 March 1933<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=1737/8}}</ref> – 24 August 1997)<ref name="Nyt">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/arts/tete-montoliu-64-spanish-jazz-pianist.html|title=Tete Montoliu, 64, Spanish Jazz Pianist|date=1 September 1997|access-date=29 September 2021|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929225626/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/01/arts/tete-montoliu-64-spanish-jazz-pianist.html|url-status=live}}</ref> was a Spanish [[jazz]] pianist from [[Catalonia]], Spain. Born blind, he learnt [[braille music]] at age seven. His styles varied from hard bop, through afro-Cuban, world fusion, to post bop. He recorded with [[Lionel Hampton]] in 1956 and played with saxophonist [[Roland Kirk]] in 1963. He also worked with leading American jazz musicians who toured in, or relocated to Europe including [[Kenny Dorham]], [[Dexter Gordon]], [[Ben Webster]], [[Lucky Thompson]], and [[Anthony Braxton]]. Tete Montoliu recorded two albums in the US, and recorded for [[Enja Records|Enja]], [[SteepleChase Records]], and [[Soul Note]] in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tete Montoliu Biography|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tete-montoliu-mn0000024907/biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=5 January 2017|archive-date=6 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106104452/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tete-montoliu-mn0000024907/biography|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/338201-Tete-Montoliu|title=Tete Montoliu|website=Discogs.com|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725202450/https://www.discogs.com/artist/338201-Tete-Montoliu|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Biography==

Montoliu was born blind, in the [[Eixample]] district of [[Barcelona]], Spain,<ref name="LarkinGE"/> and died in the same city. He was the only son of Vicenç Montoliu (a professional musician) and Àngela Massana, a jazz enthusiast, who encouraged her son to study piano. Montoliu's earliest piano teaching took place under the tutelage of Enric Mas at the private school for blind children he attended from 1939 to 1944. In 1944, Montoliu's mother arranged for Petri Palou to provide him with formal piano lessons.

From 1946 to 1953, Montoliu studied music at the [[Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu]] in Barcelona, where he also met jazz musicians and became familiar with the idiom in [[jam session]]s. During the early stages of his career, Montoliu was particularly influenced by the music of U.S. jazz pianist [[Art Tatum]], although he soon developed his own style. (Coincidentally, Tatum was also impaired with extremely limited vision). Montoliu began playing professionally at pubs in Barcelona, where he was noticed by [[Lionel Hampton]] on 13 March 1956. Montoliu toured with Hampton through Spain and France and recorded ''Jazz Flamenco''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/lionel-hampton-albums/1686-jazz-flamenco.html|title=Lionel Hampton - Jazz Flamenco|website=Freshsoundrecords.com|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=25 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210825190511/https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/lionel-hampton-albums/1686-jazz-flamenco.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In1967, Montoliu performed in New York City with bassist [[Richard Davis (double bassist)|Richard Davis]] and drummer [[Elvin Jones]]. Two concerts at the [[Village Gate]] in April were recorded for the [[Impulse! Records|Impulse!]] label, but an album was never released. He frequently appearedin Madrid during the 1960s at the Whiskey Jazz Club with musicians [[Pedro Iturralde]] and singer [[Donna Hightower]]. During the 1970s, Montoliu travelled extensively throughout Europe. During the 1980s, he performed in concerts with musicians such as [[Dexter Gordon]],<ref name="LarkinGE"/> [[Johnny Griffin]], [[George Coleman]], [[Joe Henderson]], [[Dizzy Gillespie]], [[Chick Corea]], [[Hank Jones]], [[Roy Hargrove]], [[Idris Muhammad]], [[Herbie Lewis]] and [[Jesse Davis (saxophonist)|Jesse Davis]], among others.

In 1996, shortly before his death a year later, Spain paid public tribute to Montoliu for his 50-year career in jazz.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1996/03/11/cultura/826498804_850215.html|title=Cincuenta años de un genio cercano|first=Federico|last=González|date=10 March 1996|access-date=29 September 2021|newspaper=El País|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929230035/https://elpais.com/diario/1996/03/11/cultura/826498804_850215.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

He died in August 1997 from [[lung cancer]], at the age of 64.<ref name="Nyt"/>

*1969: ''Tete Montoliu Interpreta a Serrat'' (Discophon)

*1970: ''Lliure Jazz'' (Discophon)

*1973: ''Temas Hispanoamericanos'' (Ensayo)

*1973: ''Temas Brasilenos'' (Ensayo)

*1995: ''Per Sempre, Tete'' (DiscMedi)

'''With [[Núria Feliu]]'''

*''[[Kirk in Copenhagen]]'' ([[Mercury Records|Mercury]], 1963)

*''Tate a Tete'' ([[Storyville Records|Storyville]], 1975)

*''Live at The Haarlemse Jazz Clib'' (Timeless, 1972)

'''With [[Barney Wilen]]'''

*''[[Barney Wilen]] Quartet'' - Live in [[Grenoble]] 1988

'''With [[Jerome Richardson]]'''

*''Groovin' High In Barcelona'' (Fresh Sound, 1988)

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Tete Montoliu}}

[[Category:1933 births]]

[[Category:1997 deaths]]

[[Category:Jazz pianists from Catalonia]]

[[Category:Spanish blind people]]

[[Category:Musicians from Catalonia]]

[[Category:Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu alumni]]