Tete Montoliu

Tete Montoliu (28 March 1933 – 24 August 1997) was a jazz pianist from Catalonia, Spain. His real name was Vicenç Montoliu i Massana.

Biography
He was born blind, in the Eixample district of Barcelona, and died in the same city. He was the only son of Vicenç Montoliu (a professional musician) and Àngela Massana, a jazz enthusiast, who encouraged her son to study piano. Montoliu's first experimenting with the piano took place under the tuition of Enric Mas at the private school for blind children that he attended from 1939–1944. In 1944, Montoliu's mother arranged for Petri Palou to provide him with formal piano lessons.

From 1946 to 1953 Montoliu studied music at the Conservatori Superior de Música de Barcelona where he also met jazz musicians, and became familiar with the idiom in jam sessions. During the early stages of his career, Montoliu was particularly influenced by the music of the American jazz pianist Art Tatum, although he soon developed a distinctive style, characterised by a profound musical sensitivity and extraordinary technical skill. Montoliu began playing professionally at pubs in Barcelona, where he was noticed by Lionel Hampton on 13 March 1956. Montoliu toured with Hampton through Spain and France and recorded Jazz flamenco, setting off a prolific international career.

In the 1960s, Montoliu played in various concerts at New York and established collaborations with Elvin Jones and Richard Davis. During the 1970s, he travelled extensively throughout Europe, consolidating his reputation as a main referent in the Hard Bop movement. During the 1980s, he played in numerous concerts, collaborating with prominent jazz players such as Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Joe Henderson, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Hank Jones, Roy Hargrove, and Jesse Davis, among others.

In 1996, shortly before his death, Spain paid public tribute to Tete Montoliu for his outstanding fifty-year career in jazz.

Discography

 * 1975 : Boleros
 * 1974 :  Tete!
 * 1974 : Music for Perla
 * 1974 : Catalonian Fire
 * 1974 : Songs for Love
 * 1971 : Lush Life
 * 1971: That's All
 * 1971: Body & Soul (Enja Records)
 * 1971: Body and Soul (Black Lion)
 * 1971: It's About Blues Time
 * 1977: Catalonian Folksongs (Timeless Muse)
 * 1979: Duo (Timeless Muse, with George Adams)