When you get up in the morning, you must have a song - Ray Charles

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Tete Montoliu - Catalonian Folksongs/Music For Perla


Here's a couple by Spanish pianist Tete Montoliu. I've not seen these posted before and these are my vinyl rips.

The first offering is a solo outing of his renditions of Catalonian folksongs, a genre Mr Montoliu knows intimately. I knew nothing of this fellow when I picked this record up for a couple of bucks at a flea market. I completely forgot that I had bought it until one late summer evening, I had had a wee bit and the night was winding down and cooling off with a nice breeze. Flipping through some recent purchases I ran across this and dropped it on. I was completely taken aback by the beauty of the music, seemly so foreign to my ear and Tete's playing which made it still seem like an old friend.

Of course I know now that Tete spent time with several jazz greats including Dexter Gordon and Roland Kirk and I enjoy that work but I always find myself drifting back to this record especially at that certain time at night when I need familiar soothing strains.


Despite TM's fierce nationalism, he recorded this record in Holland in 1977. Catalonian Folksongs. Timeless Muse TI 304.

1. Cigales al ven (grasshoppers in the wind)
2. Canco de matinada (Song of the morning)
3. Manuel
4. Me embaix apeu (I'm leaving on foot)
5. Una gitarra (A guitar)
6. Ruco
7. Quin plan teniu senor (What are ou going to do, sir?)
8. Sota un cirere flurit (beneath a flowering cherry tree)
9. La Amelia esta malalba (Amelia is sick)
10. Els segadors (The threshers)
(Catalonian National Anthem)

This music on Catalonian Folksongs is beautiful but the lp is short so I am including part of the much better known lp Music for Perla. In keeping with the mood, this is also a solo lp. This was recorded a couple of years earlier, 1974, in Copenhagen. These songs were recorded the same day as his much heralded Catalonian Fire lp.

Side One of the record is for the most part standards by Rogers, Van Heusen, etc and is pretty but unremarkable, therefore I am skipping those for now. Side 2 of the lp, which is what i have included is TM compositions that are unknown but far less restrained and more in the hard bop idiom. I like these songs alot but still prefer the cultural distinctiveness of his native roots songs.


1. I feel all alone
2. Circle
3. Gentofte 4349
4. Apartment 512
5.Margareta

Inner City 2021





3 comments:

oui said...

192k ONLY for this rarity? half of an lp for the other?
man... it's not the 1st of april yet! you must be new to the game :)

Hookfinger said...

In all honestly - Music for Perla is readily available and I shouldn't have posted it at all....

But thanks for spurring me to delve deeper into this posting stuff..all future posts will be 320k.

Yes, I'm learning...

charlie said...

Saw him play once in a church in Majorca. Great pianist.