Artist.......: Monty Alexander
Album........: Concrete Jungle: The Music of Bob Marley
Label........: Telarc
Genre........: Jazz
Catnr........: 83635
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Apr-01-2006
str.date.....: Mar-28-2006
quality......: VBR/44.1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: http://www.telarc.com
track title time
01. Monty Alexander - africa unite 04:47
02. Monty Alexander - concrete jungle 05:25
03. Monty Alexander - no more trouble 06:26
04. Monty Alexander - war 04:52
05. Monty Alexander - babylon system 05:37
06. Monty Alexander - forever lovin jah 06:48
07. Monty Alexander - crazy baldheads 06:56
08. Monty Alexander - chant down babylon 04:35
09. Monty Alexander - simmer down 04:47
10. Monty Alexander - trench town 05:21
11. Monty Alexander - three little birds 03:55
12. Monty Alexander - selam 01:40
Runtime 61:09 min
Size 85,8 MB
Release Notes:
In 1999, Jamaican born jazz pianist Monty
Alexander made his Telarc debut with the release of
Stir It Up, a tribute to the music of reggae icon
Bob Marley. Since then, Alexander has assembled a
diverse body of work on Telarc, with recordings
ranging from straightahead jazz to the American
songbook to world music. Seven years after Stir It
Up, Alexander digs deeper into the music and mythos
of Bob Marley with Concrete Jungle, a further
exploration of MarleyÆs legacy.
Recorded in the late summer of 2005 at MarleyÆs own
Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, and
embellished by a crew of highly talented session
players from the U.S. and Jamaica, Concrete Jungle
is a set of twelve compositions penned by Marley
and reinterpreted via AlexanderÆs jazz
piano-oriented arrangements. The resulting union of
musical sensibilities captures the passion and
freewheeling creative spirit that have made Marley
a universally recognized icon a quarter century
after his deathùnot just within the reggae nation
but throughout the world.
At the forefront is AlexanderÆs rich and evocative
piano work, accompanied by guitarist Wendel Ferraro
(aka Junior Jazz), bassist Hassan Shakur and
drummer Herlin Riley. Further seasoning the mix are
vocalist Luciano (a Jamaican superstar and an heir
to the Marley legacy), trombonist Delfeayo
Marsalis, reggae drummer Rolando Wilson, electric
bassist Glenroy Browne, the Mento Men (Panchago
Christian on guitar/vocals, Ural Gordon on rhumba
box/vocals, Vincent Hines on banjo/vocals), and
several other musicians who played with the great
Bob Marley.
ôFrom the time we started the sessions on the
evening of September 19 to our departure from Tuff
Gong Studios five days later, it was as if the
Spirit that dwells in the music of Bob Marley had
smiled on us,ö says Alexander. ôAll through the
sessions there were feelings and thoughts of loving
oneness with every person in the studio who shared
in this experience, with all the players and the
good people who would come into the room.ö
What came out of the room is a compelling and
transcendent recording, beginning with the highly
rhythmic ôAfrica Unite,ö which juxtaposes
AlexanderÆs melodic jazz lines against a percussive
reggae backbeat. ôWarö is one of the most stirring
tracks on the album, beginning with nothing more
than LucianoÆs plaintive vocals alongside
AlexanderÆs solo piano. But once the rhythm section
kicks in, everyone takes a turn at the microphone,
resulting in a richly layered musical plea for
world peace.
ôBabylon Systemö begins as a gentle acoustic
ballad, but the laid back tempo is deceiving.
ThereÆs a measure of rhythmic and emotional
intensity here that is undeniable at any speed.
Further into the set, a carefully arranged horn
section (saxophonist Dean Fraser, trumpeter Dwight
Richards and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis) lends an
element of swing to the otherwise reggae-flavored
ôTrench Town.ö The following track, ôThree Little
Birds,ö is an earthy, impromptu free-for-all,
courtesy of the Mento Men. The trio builds a
compelling sound with nothing more than a simple
chord progression and vocal line augmented by
Alexander on melodica, an honest and direct
expression of the reggae experience.
Concrete Jungle is almost as much about location as
it is about the music itself. ôWe wanted to take
this recording another level up from Stir it Up in
terms of depth and authenticity,ö says producer
Elaine Martone. ôKingston is a challenging city. I
had serious misgivings about doing the sessions
there. But Monty pushed for the idea, and he was
right. ThereÆs an energy within the walls of Tuff
Gong thatÆs almost mystical. And when we factored
in the rich, multicultural dimension of the players
whom we brought into the sessions, the resulting
experienceùand the resulting recordingùwas
transformative. We could not have made a recording
like this anywhere else. One love.ö
Performers
Monty Alexander - piano, melodica
Hassan Shakur -- bass
Herlin Riley -- drums
Othniel Lewis -- keyboard
Wendel Ferraro (aka Junior Jazz) -- lead guitar,
vocals
Wayne Armond -- rhythm guitar, vocals
Glenroy Browne -- electric bass
Courtney Panton -- electric bass
Rolando Alphanso Wilson -- reggae drums
Loris (Billy) Lawrence -- percussion
Delfeayo Marsalis -- trombone
Dean Fraser -- saxophone
Dwight Richards -- trumpet
and featuring special guest:
Luciano -- vocals
and The Rod Dennis Mento Band
Panchago Christian -- guitar, vocals
Ural Gordon -- rumba box, vocals
Vincent Hines -- banjo, vocals
Reviews
"...best of all is his quiet but intense
arrangement of 'Babylon System', a rare
interpretation of a Marley song that reveals both
the anger and the simple heartache that lies at the
center of the songùon 'Babylon System" you could
hear Marley weeping for the wicked as well as
crying out for justice for his people, and that
anguish is brilliantly exposed in Alexander's
arrangement...overall this is an insightful and
deeply enjoyable album." -- All Music Guide
ôàit [Concrete Jungle] stands apartàby featuring
both street cred and sincere reverence.ö --
Chattanooga Pulse
ôThis is an enjoyable tribute.ö -- OÆs Place Jazz
ôMonty Alexander continues his double life on this
excellent cd of Bob Marley's musicà Alexander
himself is in excellent form, carefully walking the
tightrope that bridges jazz improvisation and the
rhythmic riffs of reggae. His delicate intro work
to "Babylon System" is a delight, as is his playful
intro to "Chant Down Babylon," before it plunges
into a funky grove. Any music that calls for peace,
as Alexander evokes in the closing "Selam" deserves
a good listen. Once again, jazz takes in another
cousin.ö -- All About Jazz û LA
ôWhether you want Bob Marley mixed with jazz
overtones, or vise-versa, this album does not
disappointàAlexander's most important
objectiveùwhether his vehicle is reggae or jazz or
soul, small combo or symphonyùis to express the joy
of music to all within earshot, regardless of
prevailing differences in taste or culture.ö --
TheCelebrityCafe.com
ôMonty Alexander digs deeper into the music and
mythos of Bob Marley with his newest release,
Concrete Jungle. The twelve compositions, penned by
Marley, are reinterpreted via AlexanderÆs
jazz-piano-oriented arrangements, resulting in a
very compelling and transcendent recording.ö --
Accent on the Bay
ôItÆs an attractive undertaking, smoothing out the
rough edges of the composerÆs rebel spirit while
deconstructing the simple but irresistible
melodies. Marsalis marches æSimmer DownÆ through
the French Quarter and the Rod Dennis Mento Band
takes it loosely to the streetcorner on æThree
Little BirdsÆ but most of this CD is firmly rooted
in mellow, groove-happy Trenchtown rock.ö --
Portfolio Weekly
ôàthe pianist interprets MarleyÆs songs with a
feeling for the blues and folk music textures
contained in the music. Reggae remains close at
hand, and a clarion vocal emphasis shares the
spotlight with AlexanderÆs piano. Lyrics are
brought into the forum with clarityà AlexanderÆs
æSelamÆ closes the album with a brief solo piano
tribute all wrapped up in blankets and tears, a
heartfelt salute to a figure who left his imprint
on popular music for eternity.ö -- AllAboutJazz.com
ôAlexander has been a prolific performer and
recording artist whose infectious style fuses his
Caribbean roots with the sounds of gospel, swing,
blues, and post bop; heÆs as comfortable with
Gershwin and Ellington as he is with funk and
reggaeà In the spirit of Bob Marley, Monty
AlexanderÆs Concrete Jungle is all about taking a
mix of cultures and creating a whole, bringing
everyone together in a common cause. If only that
was the true meaning of Global Warming.ö -- Jazz
Police
ôAlexander is a pro, the jazz flavor works nicely
and the end result is an easy to like, upmarket
party record just begging for the right summer
evening to come along." -- Midwest Record Recap