Monty Alexander Trio - Love Me Tender (2014)

Veteran pianist Monty Alexander left Jamaica and came to the United States at age 17. This new recording for Venus Records celebrates his 50 years in the land of jazz. Known for his straight ahead sensibilities and sometimes considered a successor of Oscar Peterson, his long career has widened his musical spectrum and brought maturity to his playing.

Soulful, swinging, funky and decidedly straight ahead, Alexander's maturity brought a certain richness and relaxed elegance to his playing. With his trusted rhythm section, he plays standards and a couple of his originals, plus a few of Ray Brown's (his mentor and early collaborator) repertory. This is one of his strongest albums in recent years!

Tracklist:

01. A Beautiful Friendship (4:49)
02. Can't You See (6:10)
03. Come Fly With Me (8:01)
04. Got To Go (6:07)
05. I've Never Been In Love Before (5:12)
06. Love Me Tender/A House Is Not A Home (5:10)
07. Ruby (4:54)
08. Sweet Lady (5:02)
09. Used To Be Jackson (6:01)
10. You Call It Madness (5:23)
11. We've Only Just Begun (7:06)

Personnel:

Monty Alexander (piano)
Hassan Shakur (bass)
Willie Jones III (drums)