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J. R. Monterose | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Frank Anthony Peter Vincent Monterose, Jr. |
| Born | (1927-01-19)January 19, 1927 Detroit,Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | September 16, 1993(1993-09-16) (aged 66) Utica, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Saxophone |
| Years active | 1947–1988 |
J. R. Monterose (January 19, 1927[1] – September 16, 1993),[2] bornFrank Anthony Peter Vincent Monterose, Jr., was an Americanjazzsaxophonist, playing mainlytenor and occasionallysoprano.
Born inDetroit,Michigan, United States,[1] J.R. or JR (derived from Jr.) Monterose grew up inUtica, New York,[2] where his family moved a few months after his birth. He began formalclarinet studies at thirteen, but was largely self-taught as a tenor saxophonist, which he took up at the age of 15 after hearingGlenn Miller band soloistTex Beneke. Monterose's earliest influences wereColeman Hawkins andChu Berry, but, as he told criticLeonard Feather, he also found harmonic inspiration in pianists, citingBud Powell and the instruction of Utica-based guitarist and pianist Sam Mancuso, in helping him learn how to use chord changes.
Monterose's first professional experience was playing in upstate New York territory dance bands (1947–49). In 1950, he joinedHenry "Hot Lips" Busse's touring orchestra. After a brief return to Utica, he joined theBuddy Rich big band in late 1951.[1] Though the band had some excellent bop-oriented musicians (Rich,Dave Schildkraut,Allen Eager andPhilly Joe Jones), Monterose soon left, citing the lack of soloing opportunities. "After six months I was drugged with my own playing," he declared in a 1956 interview, "and I went back home and spent the next couple of years working in little joints but with good men."[3]
In New York City in the mid- to late 1950s, Monterose was a featured soloist withClaude Thornhill's orchestra,[2] and with vibraphonistTeddy Charles's modernist groups,Charles Mingus's Jazz Workshop andKenny Dorham's short-lived Jazz Prophets.[1] Dorham, Monterose told critic Mark Gardner in 1975, "was one of the greatest leaders and players I ever played for....A wonderful musician."[4] He also recorded two sessions as leader:J. R. Monterose (Blue Note, 1956), produced byAlfred Lion with liner notes by Leonard Feather, andThe Message (JARO, 1959), produced byManny Albam, withNat Hentoff providing commentary.
The record of Monterose's life thereafter, however, is one of sparsely documented itinerancy, pursuing his evolving craft in small-time U.S. venues and during extended stays (late 1960s through the mid-1970s) in Belgium,[1] The Netherlands and Denmark, with occasional low-profile recordings (In Action,Body and Soul) recorded in such places asCedar Rapids,Iowa, andWageningen, The Netherlands. His preference for small-group work in out of the way places would shape much of his subsequent career, contributing to the musical growth but relegating him to obscurity.
The last decade and a half of Monterose's life was spent at upstate New York venues, including the Lark Tavern inAlbany. Live recordings at the Lark and other upstate New York venues, such asOpus 40, have been released by Croscrane Records. His visit to playCopenhagen's Jazzhuz in 1988, recorded byDanish Broadcasting, has been released byStoryville under the titleT.T.T. Other live recordings from his final years, when he was in less than robust health, are available on the Croscrane specialty label.
While Monterose considered himself an underground artist, his work, both as player and composer, remains esteemed by musicians, critics and aficionados of classic jazz. He never denied having been influenced byStan Getz,Sonny Rollins andJohn Coltrane, but refused to be pigeonholed in any particular style. "I've tried all my life to avoid copying. If I can't be myself, there's no point being in jazz."[5] It was this uncompromising insistence on going his own way, both musically and geographically, that moved jazz historian and writer David Brent Johnson to describe Monterose as "The Best Tenor You Never Heard".[6]
WithKenny Burrell
WithEddie Bert
WithTeddy Charles
With Freddie Deronde
WithKenny Dorham
WithJon Eardley
WithCharles Mingus
With theRené Thomas Quintet
With theGeorge Wallington Quintet
