Customer Reviews

Monty Meets Sly & Robbie

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Quite simple: if you don't have this, then get it right now. This is the second in whats becoming a brilliant series of reggae tinged jazz records for his new label. This time out Monty meets with the all time killer rhythm team of Sly and Robbie. The result is a groovin, funk filled disk of pure joy. From Herbie Hancocks Chameleon, Ramsey Lewis, The in crowd, to Zawinal's Mercy Mercy Mercy. But there's also Lee Morgans Sidewinder and Art Blakeys Moanin. Add a brilliant original called Monty's Groove, and the CD just rocks. I thought His last Stir it up album was brilliant (and overlooked, it should have sold gizillions)but this album is almost more fun. I cant wait to catch Monty live playing this, but meanwhile do your self a favor and get this disc. Its the right thing to do

Monty Alexander is one great pianist. Most of his music is jazz based with a hint of the islands. That all changed with his last release in which he covers some of Bob Marley's most popular songs. That CD is a great amalgamation of island and jazz music. It's a must just as "Monty Meets Sly and Robbie" is. It works on many levels. The rhythms are bouncy enough to clean the apartment to yet the depth of the piano solos make it perfect to sit down and really listen to. Great stuff!

Although Alexander's previous Telarc effort, a tribute to the music of Bob Marley, had at times a cocktail jazz feel to it, it was musically entertaining. This one, however, on which Alexander is joined by the veteran reggae rhythm section of Sly Dunbar on drums and Robbie Shakespeare on bass, rarely rises above the merely annoying. How three veteran musicians could combine to produce such claptrap is something I just cannot quite understand. Although the sound is quite punchy and will give an audiophile's system a good workout, neither reggae fans nor jazz fans are likely to find anything of musical value here, so I would advise both groups to pass on this one.

I don't understand that Monty Alexander has released this CD.

Monty's play is outstanding. The rhythm section, however, sounds like the auto-accompaniment feature of some run-of-the-mill keyboard.

I don't know any other Sly+Robbie recordings. Perhaps they are better elsewhere. On THIS CD, however, they are less than mediocre.

Mercy, Mercy is a good example for this.

5 stars to Monty's play.
zero stars to Sly+Robbie
Therefore, 2 stars to the CD overall.

As a long time fan of all three excellent musicians then this was a must for my collection. Mercy, mercy his superbly done also hot milk which was previously composed by a Jamaican keyboardist Jackie Mittoo.

Monty has a lot more to offer than this. I have some of his other cds and they are much greater. Personally I am more for his jazz stuff. B-E-W-A-R-E, this cd is more oriented on Jamaican music, like his ivory and steel stuff. I do not recommend this cd for straight jazz listener. However, if you are into reggae, or Jamaican music, go right ahead. However it is repetitious. This is purely one of Monty's WORST cd's. Below are some cds I DO recommend:
1.Gotcha! (Ernest Ranglin (g) with other special guests) Not the typical reggae cd, this one is EXTRAODINARY! This even suits the tastes of a jazzer. He has a saxophonist, and rhythm section with him.
2. Straight Ahead (Ray Brown(b), Monty Alexander(p), Herb Ellis (g)) This is great, two cds included.
3. Last Session (Ray Brown (b), Monty Alexander (p), Russell Malone (g)) Extraodinary solos all around.
4. Summertime (Ray Brown (b), Geoff Keezer (p), Gregory Hutchinson (d), Ulf Wakenius (g) This is a great quartet.

P.S Please Check Out My Reviews On The Recommended CDs!

I was really looking forward to this CD. The combination of these three musicians wetted my appetite when I read about this release. With the exception of "Chameleon" and "People Make The World Go Round," this is nothing more than juiced up elevator music. I have enjoyed Monty's previous recordings including the Marley cover, but this one goes into the used bin. If you really want to hear the essence of Monty's music - look no further than an earlier recording "Jamento" - it is drop dead beautiful.

When I read the description of this CD, I thought it would be a sure winner (after all, Sly and Robbie are one of Reggae's premier rhythm sections). However, the bass and drums on this CD consist solely of programmed beats and basslines, and does not sound much different than the rhythm tracks on my Casio keyboard. What happened to these guys? Why don't they play on real instruments? Monty's playing is fantastic, but the overall sound of the CD is a bit disappointing.

The first 30 lame seconds of the album is a ominous warning of whats to come on this mediocre album. I mean what a shockingly uninspired intro. At first I was going to totally slate it in my review, but to be fair a few tracks have a feel-good factor. There are definitely some nice keyboard touches ..... but that about sums it up - its pretty much a one trick act. 'Riddim Section Kings' Sly and Robbie are way-more legend than substance and you are lucky if you can pick out a live-drum sound apart from the occasional lazy (but nice) big rimshot, and the bass lines a 10 year old could play - I mean come on guys liven it up a bit and shove in a bit more effort for crisakes. Laid back - its positively horizontal. I bought this on the off chance - I had a feeling something wicked was in the offing - It ain't. In future I'll stick to the fusion boys offerings, like the The Billy Cobhams of this world.