| Tete Montoliu |
Cover of Tete Montoliu's 1996 album 'T'estimo tant...'
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Vicenç Montoliu i Massana |
| Born |
March 28, 1933 |
| Origin |
Barcelona, Spain |
| Died |
August 24, 1997 |
| Genres |
Jazz |
| Occupations |
Pianist |
| Instruments |
Piano |
| Associated acts |
Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Roland Kirk, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove, Elvin Jones, Richard Davis, Paquito D'Rivera |
Tete Montoliu (March 28, 1933–August 24, 1997) was a jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. His real name was Vicenç Montoliu i Massana.
Biography
He was born blind, in the Eixample district of Barcelona, 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 first experimenting with the piano took place under the tuition of Enric Mas at the private school for blind children that he attended from 1939–1944. 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 de Barcelona where he also met jazz musicians, and became familiar with the idiom in jam sessions. During the early stages of his career, Montoliu was particularly influenced by the music of the American jazz pianist Art Tatum, although he soon developed a distinctive style, characterised by a profound musical sensitivity and extraordinary technical skill. Montoliu began playing professionally at pubs in Barcelona, where he was noticed by Lionel Hampton on March 13 1956. Montoliu toured with Hampton through Spain and France and recorded Jazz flamenco, setting off a prolific international career.
In the 1960s, Montoliu played in various concerts at New York and established collaborations with Elvin Jones and Richard Davis. During the 1970s, he travelled extensively throughout Europe, consolidating his reputation as a main referent in the Hard Bop movement. During the 1980s, he played in numerous concerts, collaborating with prominent jazz players such as Johnny Griffin, George Coleman, Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove , Jerry Tilitz and Jesse Davis, among others.
In 1996, shortly before his death, Spain paid public tribute to Tete Montoliu for his outstanding fifty-year career in jazz.
External links
Bibliography
- Jurado, Miquel: "Tete, casi autobiografía". Fundación Autor, Madrid (Spain) 2005
- Jakupi, Gani : "Montoliu plays Tete" (musical selection by Miquel Jurado). Discmendi, Barcelona (Spain) 2006
