Monty Alexander
Zing
RCA Victor (France) 1978
PL 42777 (LP) gatefold sleeve.
sleeve : VG+(SRW, wear on corner, light dirts.)
media : EX-/EX-(some light noise caused by slightly hairlines. side B has some click noise.)
From Jamaica’s foremost jazz pianist Monty Alexander, this 1968 release captures the young master at a remarkably early peak. Tracks A1/A2/A3/B2/B5 feature a trio with Victor Gaskin (bass) and Roy McCurdy (drums), while A4/B1/B3/B4 present a separate trio with Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Al Foster (drums)—all recorded in New York in 1967. Though only his third U.S. album, Alexander was just 23 at the time, already revealing the bright, percussive touch and flowing lyricism that would define his sound. Highlights abound: a spirited reading of Cole Porter on A2, a bossa-tinged Bill Evans piece on B2, and a jazz arrangement of Chopin’s “Nocturne” on B5. This copy is the 1978 French reissue. A superb early statement from a major talent.
A2: Always True to You in My Fashion
B3: The Magnificent Seven