Tete Montoliu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tete Montoliu
Montoliu (left), with Bobby Hutcherson at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, California, 14 May 1984
Background information
Birth name	Vicente Montolíu Massana
Born	(1933-03-28)28 March 1933 Catalonia, Spain
Died	24 August 1997(1997-08-24) (aged 64)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Piano

Tete Montoliu (born Vicenç Montoliu i Massana, March 28, 1933 – August 24, 1997) was a famous Spanish jazz pianist. He was from Catalonia, Spain. Tete was born blind, but he learned to read braille music when he was seven years old.

He played many different styles of jazz, including hard bop and Afro-Cuban jazz. Tete recorded music with the legendary Lionel Hampton in 1956. He also played with saxophonist Roland Kirk in 1963. Tete Montoliu worked with many top American jazz musicians who visited or moved to Europe. Some of these included Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, and Ben Webster. He recorded many albums with different record labels in both the US and Europe.

Life Story

Tete Montoliu was born blind in Barcelona, Spain. He passed away in the same city. He was the only child of Vicenç Montoliu, who was also a professional musician. His mother, Àngela Massana, loved jazz music. She encouraged Tete to learn to play the piano.

Tete started his piano lessons with Enric Mas. This was at a special school for blind children that he attended from 1939 to 1944. In 1944, his mother arranged for Petri Palou to give him more formal piano lessons.

From 1946 to 1953, Tete studied music at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona. There, he met other jazz musicians. He learned a lot about jazz by playing in jam sessions with them. Early in his career, Tete was very inspired by the music of the American jazz pianist Art Tatum. Interestingly, Tatum also had very limited vision. Tete soon developed his own unique style of playing.

Tete began playing music professionally in pubs around Barcelona. On March 13, 1956, Lionel Hampton noticed him. Tete then went on tour with Hampton through Spain and France. They even recorded an album together called Jazz Flamenco.

In 1967, Tete Montoliu performed in New York City. He played with bassist Richard Davis and drummer Elvin Jones. They recorded two concerts at the Village Gate in April, but the album was never released. During the 1960s, he often played in Madrid at the Whiskey Jazz Club. He performed with musicians like Pedro Iturralde and singer Donna Hightower.

Throughout the 1970s, Tete traveled a lot and played music all over Europe. In the 1980s, he performed in concerts with many famous musicians. These included Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, and Hank Jones.

In 1996, a year before he passed away, Spain honored Tete Montoliu. They celebrated his 50-year career in jazz music. He died in August 1997 from lung cancer, when he was 64 years old.

Albums

Here is a list of albums Tete Montoliu recorded:

• 1965: A Tot Jazz (Concentric)
• 1965: A Tot Jazz/2 (Concentric)
• 1966: Tete Montoliu Presenta Elia Fleta (Concentric) with Elia Fleta
• 1968: Piano for Nuria (SABA)
• 1969: Tete Montoliu Interpreta a Serrat (Discophon)
• 1970: Lliure Jazz (Discophon)
• 1971: Body & Soul (Enja)
• 1971: That's All (SteepleChase) released 1985
• 1971: Lush Life (SteepleChase) released 1986
• 1971: Songs for Love (Enja) released 1974
• 1971: Recordando a Line (Discophon)
• 1973: Temas Hispanoamericanos (Ensayo)
• 1973: Temas Brasilenos (Ensayo)
• 1974: Catalonian Fire (SteepleChase)
• 1974: Music for Perla (SteepleChase)
• 1974: Tete! (SteepleChase)
• 1974: Vampyria (BASF) with Jordi Sabatés
• 1976: Tête à Tete (SteepleChase)
• 1976: Tootie's Tempo (SteepleChase, released 1979)
• 1976: Words of Love (SteepleChase, [1978])
• 1977: Blues for Myself (Ensayo)
• 1977: Meditation (Timeless) with George Coleman
• 1977: Yellow Dolphin Street (Timeless)
• 1977: Secret Love (Timeless)
• 1977: Boleros (Ensayo)
• 1978: Catalonian Folksongs (Timeless)
• 1979: Al Palau (Zeleste-Edigsa)
• 1979: Live at the Keystone Corner (Timeless, released 1981)
• 1979: Lunch in L.A. (Contemporary)
• 1980: Boston Concert (SteepleChase)
• 1980: I Wanna Talk About You (SteepleChase)
• 1980: Catalonian Nights Vol. 1 (SteepleChase, released 1981)
• 1980: Catalonian Nights Vol. 2 (SteepleChase, released 1985)
• 1980: Catalonian Nights Vol. 3 (SteepleChase, released 1998)
• 1982: Face to Face (SteepleChase, [1984]) with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
• 1984: Carmina (Jazzizz)
• 1986: The Music I Like to Play Vol. 1 (Soul Note)
• 1986: The Music I Like to Play Vol. 2 (Soul Note, released 1989)
• 1988: Orquestra Taller de Músics de Barcelona amb Tete Montoliu (Justine)
• 1989: New Year's Morning '89 (Fresh Sound) with Peter King
• 1989: Sweet 'n Lovely 1 (Fresh Sound, released 1991) with Mundell Lowe
• 1989: Sweet 'n Lovely 2 (Fresh Sound, released 1991) with Mundell Lowe
• 1990: The Music I Like to Play Vol. 3 (Soul Note)
• 1990: The Music I Like to Play Vol. 4 (Soul Note, released 1992)
• 1990: The Man from Barcelona (Timeless)
• 1991: A Spanish Treasure (Concord Jazz)
• 1992: Catalonian Rhapsody (Alfa)
• 1992: Music for Anna (Mas i Mas)
• 1995: Per Sempre, Tete (DiscMedi)
• 1995: Tete en la Trompetilla: En Vivo (SRP Discos)
• 1995: Tete Montoliu en El San Juan (Nuevos Medios)
• 1996: Montoliu Plays Tete (DiscMedi)
• 1996: T'Estimo Tant (DiscMedi)
• 1997: Palau de la Musica Catalana (DiscMedi)
• 1997: Momentos Inolvidables de una Vida (Fresh Sound)
• 2005: Jazz en Espana (Rtve)

As a Guest Musician

Tete Montoliu also played on albums for other artists: With Anthony Braxton

• In the Tradition (SteepleChase, 1974)
• In the Tradition Volume 2 (SteepleChase, 1974 [1977])

With Núria Feliu

• Núria Feliu with Booker Ervin (Edigsa, 1965) with Booker Ervin

With Dexter Gordon

• Cheese Cake (SteepleChase, 1964 [1979])
• King Neptune (SteepleChase, 1964 [1979])
• I Want More (SteepleChase, 1964 [1980])
• Love for Sale (SteepleChase, 1964 [1981])
• It's You or No One (SteepleChase, 1964 [1983])
• Billie's Bounce (SteepleChase, 1964 [1983])
• Bouncin' with Dex (SteepleChase, 1976)

With Eddie Harris

• Steps Up (SteepleChase, 1981)

With Rahsaan Roland Kirk

• Kirk in Copenhagen (Mercury, 1963)
• Dog Years in the Fourth Ring (32 Jazz, 1997) – appears on one track only

With Charlie Mariano

• It's Standard Time Volume 1 (Fresh Sound)
• It's Standard Time Volume 2 (Fresh Sound)

With Jordi Sabatés

• Tot l'Enyor de Dema (Edigsa, 1976)

With Archie Shepp and Lars Gullin

• The House I Live In (SteepleChase, 1963 [1980])

With Buddy Tate

• Tate a Tete (Storyville, 1975)

With Lucky Thompson

• Soul's Nite Out (Ensayo, 1969)

With Ben Webster

• Ben Webster Meets Don Byas (MPS, 1968) with Don Byas
• Live at The Haarlemse Jazz Clib (Timeless, 1972)
• Ben Webster in Hot House (Hot House, 1972 [1979])
• Gentle Ben (Ensayo, 1972)

With Barney Wilen

• Barney Wilen Quartet - Live in Grenoble 1988

With Jerome Richardson

• Groovin' High In Barcelona (Fresh Sound, 1988)

See also

In Spanish: Tete Montoliu para niños