My efforts to keep up with the recordings of Singaporean jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro tend to be a sometime thing. My last account on this site was in October of last year, when he released a solo album of vocals accompanied by his own piano work. (Not surprisingly, the title of that album was Jeremy Monteiro Sings!).
Sean Hong Wei and Jeremy Monteiro on the cover of the album being discussed (courtesy of Mouthpiece Music)
The title of his latest release is The New Jersey Sessions, and it involves a partnership with saxophonist Sean Hong Wei. As of this writing, the album appears to be available only for digital download. The advance material never mentions New Jersey, but it would not surprise me if it had been conceived as an homage of the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, where Rudy Van Gelder engineered recordings for such major jazz labels as Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, and Impulse! This would be consistent with many of the tracks on the album, which include “Dewey Square” (Charlie Parker), “I Want to Talk About You” (John Coltrane’s take on Billy Eckstine), and “Bag’s Groove” (Milt Jackson).
“Sophisticated Lady,” which is the last track on the album, is the only “pure duo” performance by Monteiro and Hong. On all of the remaining tracks, rhythm is provided by Jay Anderson on bass and drummer Evan Sherman. There are also two “guest appearances.” Saxophonist Houston Person joins the quartet for performances of “When Sunny Gets Blue” and “Bags’ Groove;” and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin contributes to “Dewey Square” and “Life Goes On.”
The entire album was recorded this past January 13, but it was only released in the United States at the end of last month. Like its predecessors, the album was produced by Jazznote Records. Taken as a whole, it is as engaging as the previous Monteiro albums I have discussed; and I expect that I shall return to it for further listening experiences.
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