Monty @ Jazz Alley

Well, the idea of the blog was to record memorable events, and none could be much more memorable than the Monty Alexander Trio at Jazz Alley. I stayed for four sets, set lists to follow:

20050304 Set I:
1. St. Thomas
2. I Can't Stop Loving You (gospel piano intro - med swing)
3. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (boogie piano intro - played w/ elbow)
4. You Don't Know Me (piano/bass start)
5. Lonely Avenue (Red Halloway intro )
6. Love for Sale (awesome piano solo)
7. You Don't Know What Love Is (Red: "Love is a disagreement b/w two fools)
8. Keep Your Hands Off of Her (Sanctified Gospel beat, Monty tore the !@# out of it!)

20050304 Set II:
1. Gotcha' Runnin' (Marley: flavors of 'Summertime')
2. Don't Go (aka Gotta Go - Monty original)
3. Renewal (very interesting funkish take)
4. Lonely Avenue (here comes the sax...great boogie, awesome piano solo - elbow trick several times)
5. I Gotta Woman (great singing intro by Monty, jumping church beat)
6. Let the Good Times Roll (Red on vocal
7. Drowning in My Own Tears (solo gospel piano intro, Monty ends singing "Hard Times")
8. Eb blues "Young Women, let me tell..."
9. Encore: Georgia

20050305 Set I: 7:48-9:07
1. High-heeled Sneakers (great pause during head. Shuffle of course. A little Monk on L.H. - Mysterioso. keeps going...intros...solos, almost 10 mins. Calls out number of punches 1-2-1-3 etc. then started again real quiet. Salt peanuts to end)
2. I Can't Stop Loving You (another gospel intro, shuffle during bridge then r&b flavor, med swing tempo. key change after drum solo)
3. You Don't Know Me (another gospel intro, slow ballad. Then double-time feel for round of solos. C.C. Rider quotes transitions out to end of head)
4. Lonely Avenue (sax intro. shuffle, growling, lots of JLL glissandi)
5. St. Thomas (solo piano intro - love those changes)
6. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Monty killed on intro, Red loses the energy in the transition. Half-step changes - learn those)
7. Let the Good Times Roll (Red on vocal. solid shuffle, could you get tired of this ?!)
8. Georgia (no Monty solo, but excellent comping. I love his comping almost as much as hi solos)
9. What I'd Say (AWESOME - hits all the breaks. Monty singing "Hey. Ho". Awesome. In a fury, plays melodica...runs out of breath. Pants and smokes piano.)
10. Encore: Hit the Road Jack (gospel piano intro, minor swing, very percussive. Monty gives a Ray monologue.)

20050305 Set II: 9:54-11:22
1. Look Up (Monty. standard jazz ballad intro. quite the stylistic tour. swing. A-train. funk "So What". Boogie bass, etc.)
2. Started Renewal - shifts to No Woman, No Cry. (love the little off-beat comps. so island)
3. I Can't Stop Loving You (r&b stuff is so tasty. little slower. Easter Parade extended quote...then OP "rolls". even stride style!)
4. The River (slowin' it down. hand drums, lick trick. plucking strings, etc)
5. Lonely Avenue (sax intro. shifts to "One Mint Julep"
6. "Keep Your Hands Off of Her" (love that sanctified beat. Herlin's "Whoo!". Monty STANDS)
7. Hard Times (Monty sings)
8. I Gotta Woman (gotta learn that gospel jump)
9. C.C. Rider (sax intro. medium swing. Blue Monk taste, another rediculous solo)
10. SKJ (call & response. Monty has gifted ear. Red doesn't. Stormy weather. Modulated the head over no key change. Count Basie ending, then continue and go again!)
11. Encore: Unchain My Heart ("We don't know anymore songs". His hands are killing him. latin feel and more melodica)

Outstanding shows. Review to follow.