Miquel Jurado: "Tete: Casi autobiografía"

[EKE BBB]

Last night, as part of the events in the Bienal Tete Montoliu, the book “Tete: Casi autobiografía”, by Miquel Jurado, was presented in its Spanish edition.

Just a few months after Tete´s passing in 1997, Miquel Jurado published a book that he called “almost-an-autobiography”, with a biographical sketch of the life of Tete Montoliu, based mostly in their countless conversations through many years of friendship. It was written in Catalan and, though he made the translation into Spanish shortly after this Catalan edition, and due to diverse publishing troubles, the Spanish edition had been eternally delayed.

Now, seven years after, a revised and expanded Spanish edition has just been published. Jurado has not changed the text significantly, though, among other things, an interesting article written by Tete in defense of bebop back in the fifties and an interview with the pianist when he was just 17, have been included. The graphical facet of the book is the main improvement: it´s a better printed edition with new photos and covers of almost all of the first edition issues of the discs by the Spanish genius. The discography (it´s a issue-oriented discography, not a sessionography, and only includes commercially issued recordings) has been completed and corrected.

I´ve been sent a copy by the editors, but still haven´t received it. Thus, all my previous comments come from my talking with Miquel Jurado.

Edited November 14, 2005 by EKE BBB

[EKE BBB]

Here´s the official presse release (as part of the Bienal Tete Montoliu):

Chick Corea clausura entre ovaciones la Bienal de Jazz Tete Montoliú

=> El pianista estadounidense y el Taller de Músics recogieron los Premios de Honor en el Palau de la Música Catalana

La espectacular belleza arquitectónica del Palau de la Música Catalana volvió a ser testigo anoche de la entrega de los Premios de Honor que concede la Bienal SGAE de Jazz Tete Montoliú. Este año los distinguidos con este pretigioso galardón han sido el pianista norteamericano Chick Corea y el Taller de Músics de Barcelona, quienes se han sumado a una lista que ya integran personalidades e instituciones como los pianistas Kenny Barron y John Lewis, el vibrafonista Bobby Hutcherson, el contrabajista Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen, el Club Jazz Cava de Tarrassa, el Club de Música y Jazz San Juan Evangelista de Madrid o el programa radiofónico de RNE Jazz porque sí. Chick Corea, además, fue el encargado de clausurar esta gran cita jazzística internacional con una acuación junto a su grupo Touchstone. El público despidió al artista en pie y entre aplausos y ovaciones.

El certamen también nos acerca a la memoria los nombres de los ganadores de su Premio Músico Revelación, concedido al saxofonista Javier Vercher, y su Concurso de Obras, otorgado a la obra Iboga, del pianista Federico Lechner, así como la presentación oficial del libro Tete, casi una autobiografía, escrito por el periodista Miquel Jurado y editado por la Fundación Autor y la Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE), las dos entidades responsables de la organización de la Bienal SGAE de Jazz Tete Montoliú. La programación ha vuelto a contar con el amparo del Festival de Jazz de Barcelona y durante los dos últimos días la capital catalana ha sido testigo de la altura jazzística de nuestros jóvenes músicos y autores.

No obstante, el momento más emotivo llegó con la entrega de los Premios de Honor Tete Montoliú en un acto que contó con la presencia del presidente del Consejo de Dirección de la SGAE, Eduardo Bautista, que agradeció "la confianza que los familiares de Tete han depositado en nuestra organización para que cada dos años celebremos la creación jazzística en recuerdo del gran pianista".

Tras la entrega a Chick Corea y el Taller de Músics, representado por su director Lluís Cabrera, de los Premios de Honor Tete Montoliú 2005, el artista atacó un concierto en el que adelantó buena parte de los temas que conformarán su próximo disco junto al grupo Touchstone. En el ecuador del recital, a los miembros de esta formación compuesta por el saxofonista y flautista Jorge Pardo, el bajista Carles Benavent, el percusionista Rubém Dantas y el batería Tom Brechtlein, se les sumó el baile flamenco de invitados como Conchi Fernández y Tomasito, que revolucionaron la platea. El antiguo colaborador de Miles Davis y fundador de grupos como Return to Forever y la Corea Elektric Band, cerró la velada con una vibrante versión de uno de sus temas más conocidos, Spain, prologado por el eco melódico de El concierto de Aranjuez, del maestro Rodrigo.

Tete, una figura para recordar y leer

Antes de la clausura protagonizada por Chick Corea, el certamen asistió a la presentación oficial del libro Tete, casi una autobiografía, escrito por el periodista Miquel Jurado. El volumen, de 459 páginas y con un precio de 18 euros, es una edición actualizada y traducida al castellano del mismo libro que este autor publicara en 1998 en catalán. "Esencialmente no he tocado ni una letra ni una coma", comentó Jurado, "aunque hemos aprovechado esta nueva entrega para incorporar la discografía completa de Tete, todas las portadas de sus discos, fotos y una generosa bibliografía". El texto también incluye un artículo del propio Montoliú publicado en 1950 en la revista Ritmo y melodía, en el que hacía una aguerrida defensa del bebop, o la primera entrevista realizada al pianista, cuando sólo contaba con 17 años y era conocido como Montoliú Junior.

"El libro está hecho desde la amistad y la ilusión", confesó Jurado, "y si antes no había sido traducido al castellano ha sido porque no me había encontrado con editores que compartieran esa misma ilusión". Y advirtió: "No sólo se trata de una biografía profesional, sino que a lo largo de su páginas uno puede descubrir el calado humano de Tete, así como la Barcelona de hace 50 años, su ambiente musical, social, político, cultural... Gran parte del material surgió de largas y distendidas conversaciones en la casa de Tete". Tete, casi una autobiografía será presentado en la próxima Feria del Libro de Guadalajara (México).

A esta edición se añadió la publicación de las partituras de los cuatro premios del concurso de obras SGAE de Jazz Tete Montoliú de las ediciones de 2001 y 2003, con el propósito de distribuirlas por escuelas de jazz españolas y de esta forma acercar a los jóvenes músicos la obra de nuestros creadores.

EDIT: sorry, no English version in the SGAE website

Edited November 4, 2005 by EKE BBB

[Fer Urbina]

The discography (it´s a issue-oriented discography, not a sessionography, and only includes commercially issued recordings) has been completed and corrected.

That means that YOU have completed and corrected the discography, right?

Congrats and looking forward to some interesting Christmas reading (that defence of Bebop written in the 50s in Spain, now THAT has to be interesting - an old friend who had a jazz radio programme in the early 50s told me that he was banned from playing Satchmo's singing; apparently Mario Lanza was da man!)

F

[EKE BBB]

The discography (it´s a issue-oriented discography, not a sessionography, and only includes commercially issued recordings) has been completed and corrected.

That means that YOU have completed and corrected the discography, right?

←

Well, let´s say that he has used our discography to correct and add a few things here and there. Under permission, of course!

And to be fair that is an infinitesimal part of all he has helped us with his first-hand knowledge on Tete Montoliu. He was by his side many years, travelled with him in many of his gigs and was present in many of his recording sessions.

[EKE BBB]

You can find a 20 minutes interview with Miquel Jurado (in Catalan) on this web:

http://www.laradioalacarta.com/tematica_Cinema.html#

[brownie]

Guess there won't be an english (or french) translation of this!

One more good reason to start learning Spanish...

.... unless the book is written in Catalan!

;

[EKE BBB]

Guess there won't be an english (or french) translation of this!

One more good reason to start learning Spanish...

.... unless the book is written in Catalan!

;

←

I´m afraid there´s somebody that hasn´t read my first post....

And yes, start learning Spanish... you may need it!

[brownie]

Guess there won't be an english (or french) translation of this!

One more good reason to start learning Spanish...

.... unless the book is written in Catalan!

;

←

I´m afraid there´s somebody that hasn´t read my first post....

And yes, start learning Spanish... you may need it!

←

Oui, oui

Need to brush up my english, too

[EKE BBB]

No problem, amigo mío (or meu amic, if you prefer it in Catalan)

[EKE BBB]

Tomorrow in the morning (11:30 am) the book will be presented in Madrid (the Nov. 3 event took place in Barcelona).

What a good hour to present the book to us, the working class!

Blame it on the SGAE/Fundación Autor guys, publishers of the book.

Edited November 14, 2005 by EKE BBB

[EKE BBB]

Here´s the cover:

[EKE BBB]

Finally, this morning I was able to attend the presentation of this book in Madrid (the first presentation, on Nov. 3, took place in Barcelona).

Montserrat García-Albea´s speech on Tete was clearly the highlight. From a few remembrances and anecdotes, Tete´s widow composed a very beautiful and moving (but never slushy) portrait of Tete as a person. He WAS a man of a kind!

BTW: the book will also be presented in Guadalajara (México), in the Feria del Libro.

And, most probably, it will also be translated into braille [remember Tete was blind]

Edited November 15, 2005 by EKE BBB

[king ubu]

So brownie should learn reading catalan in braille, I guess!

Some others have read these posts, too, EKE! I'd love to lay hands on this book, I must say, even though I may have trouble understanding more than some bits... (ok, some years ago I was able to read some... García Marquez or Lorca or whatever, of course with some dictionary, but... I may just have to get into it again!)

[brownie]

Got hold of an edition in French of the DiscMedi comics book 'Tete Montoliu Plays' with drawings by Gani Jakupi and music selections (2 CDs) by Miguel Jurado. The French version goes under the title 'Du Blues Dans le Noir' (Blues in the Dark)!

Very interesting book that I can read without problems

Could not find any mention of this French version on the DiscMedi website!

[EKE BBB]

Got hold of an edition in French of the DiscMedi comics book 'Tete Montoliu Plays' with drawings by Gani Jakupi and music selections (2 CDs) by Miguel Jurado. The French version goes under the title 'Du Blues Dans le Noir' (Blues in the Dark)!

Very interesting book that I can read without problems

Could not find any mention of this French version on the DiscMedi website!

No, you won´t find it.

The Spanish and Catalan editions are targeted exclusively for Spain; the French edition exclusively for France, and the English edition exclusively for the rest of the world.

So it looks like they consider his website as part of Spain...

[EKE BBB]

Anyway, brownie, if you look carefully on the Discmedi website YOU´LL FIND A NEW TREASURE for us, collectors of Tete Montoliu material. Hint, hint!

I´ve just received "that treasure" today, and will start a new topic when I listen to it properly.

Look for it, man!

[brownie]

Anyway, brownie, if you look carefully on the Discmedi website YOU´LL FIND A NEW TREASURE for us, collectors of Tete Montoliu material. Hint, hint!

If you're talking about First Steps, I'll be looking for your impressions on that one