Sunshine, Life

Monty Alexander – Love And Sunshine
MPS Records – G-22620
Vinyl, LP, Album, USA, 1975
info
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I recorded this album and started preparing the post almost six months ago. I intended it to be the follow up to a post talking about the Chicago elections. The punchline was that the people won, we elected a Black, progressive, union organizer as mayor and Love And Sunshine landed on my turntable and seemed like a good soundtrack to a hopeful moment. Before posting I realized that I had completely messed up the recording and just couldn't get around to rerecording and fixing it up again until now.

My taste may typically run more to the spiritual or free jazz ends of things, but there is something I love about a straight forward set like this one by Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander. Not sure what it is- Standards, pop tunes arranged for a jazz combo, and the complete lack of pretention, maybe?

Alexander cut this set for the German MPS label live in front of a small audience in the MPS studio (which I think basically meant in label founder Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer's living room). The recording itself is great and it's a treat to listen closely on headphones and be able to just make out the musicians scatting along when the songs really really get going.

Monty Alexander's sharp piano work is joined by the great Ernie Ranglin on guitar, another Jamaican who brought JA into the international jazz scene. I know nothing about British drummer Kenny Clarke or German bassist Eberhard Weber, but Weber's contributions especially caught my ear. He gets pretty funky for a dude named Eberhard kicking it in the Black Forest in the 1970s. Just saying.

In addition to great live piano work, check for the fantastic sound on Ranglin's guitar solos. The whole album is nice, but make sure you listen to the highlight, Alexander's arrangement of You Are The Sunshine Of My Life that slips some calypso rhythms and Caribbean touches into the Stevie Wonder classic.

The record had a few scratches that surprised me, but I was pretty happy with my attempts to fix them up digitally. The disc itself is a little noisy in the quiet piano solo bits, but don't let that put you off. I haven't seen this album available on the streaming services I look at and, as far as I know, its only CD release was almost a decade ago in Japan on a disc that seems to sell for way too much. So please listen- Instead of being the soundtrack to a celebration, it can be a comforting reminder to stay hopeful and that the sun will be back after a Chicago winter (and the other challenges life throws our way). I've needed it. Hope you enjoy.

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Tracklist

A1 S. K. J.

A2 Summer Of '42

A3 Now Is The Time

B1 You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

B2 Feel Like Making Love

B3 On A Clear Day

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I feel like this is the beginning in FLAC (24 bit/96 kHz, download zip): https://mega.nz/file/VCwF2IiI#tJafFyKFLGvj1wdpwHlE_wzRVs6gH8OekROAOG0YoJ0

Though I've loved you for a million years in MP3 (320 kbps, download or stream): https://mega.nz/folder/sLhlHQTJ#TFZWUlYltf-pyaDUijIQMw