Tete Montoliu Trio - Barcelona Meeting (2019)

All performances on this CD were recorded on May 22, 1988. At the time, Tete Montoliu, Reggie Johnson and Alvin Queen were the dependable rhythm section behind saxophonist Jerome Richardson while he was booked at the old Cova del Drac in Barcelona. The three were in such top form and had such energy and good rapport, that they agreed to do a trio album. With musicians of this caliber, it simply could not go wrong. They were confident, but more so, they were sympathetic to each other’s ideas.

Tete played in a straight-ahead vein. He was rhythmically solid and never overeager, but still managed to get all he had bubbling inside him out there, on the piano, and put it together beautifully without ever foregoing his swinging melodic presence. Alvin generated considerable excitement with his distinctive, powerful driving force, while Reggie provided just the precise pulse to best serve the twists and turns of Tete’s playing. All the music they recorded that day has remained in the Fresh Sound Records archives for over 30 years, and this is the first time that the complete trio session has come to light. Listening to these performances we can easily agree that in addition to his talent, what comes across when Tete plays the piano more than anything else is his genuineness.