Record Reviews

MONTY ALEXANDER ~ RASS! MPS 4029759097372 (Barcode: 4029759097372) ~ USA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of a little known album by American (born in Jamaica) pianist / composer Monty AlexanderFind albums by this artist, who started as a young prodigy and later on recorded many albums for the MPS label in the 1970s and early 1980s. This particular album is unusual since Alexander plays the Fender Rhodes rather than the acoustic piano, and is accompanied by Jamaican musicians. The other musicians playing on this album are guitarists Ernest RanglinFind albums by this artist and Clarence WearsFind albums by this artist, bassist Jackie JacksonFind albums by this artist, drummer Sparrow MarlinFind albums by this artist and percussionists Noel SealeFind albums by this artist and Denzil LaingFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six tunes, three of which are standards and three are traditional folk songs arranged by Alexander. The music is an early Jazz-World Music Fusion, which uses Caribbean rhythms and melodies in addition to the standard Jazz phrasing, which was still pretty innovative at the time. In the very extensive recorded legacy created over the years by Alexander, this album still remains as one of the most interesting ones. It is good to have this album back in circulation, as it remains interesting and fresh regardless of the passing time and is certainly a very pleasant listening experience also today. Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 27/05/2018Posted: 12/10/2016

CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend