Skelton’s
Montourage Live @ Penny Lane
4 ½ stars
I have had the privilege of working as a Jazzflight DJ at WUEV 91.5 fm
since 2007. I have met many great musicians and a lot of passionate jazz fans
in the Tri-State. Presently the station manager and producer of the Afternoon
Jazzflight on WUEV is Monte Skelton. He is also, among other things, the front
man of Skeltons’ Montourage. Most of the fans in the area know Monte as a
killer sax player, as well as a multi-instrumentalist. The Montourage is a unit
comprised of some of the heart and soul of the Evansville jazz scene.
Filling out this fine
band it Alex Smith (trumpet), Matt Courtney (bass), Jordan
Green (guitar), Jeremy Stevens (keys), Eli Green (percussion), and last, but
not least, Jon Kern (drums). Late last year they played at the Penny Lane
Coffee House in one of the last gasps of music at this storied establishment.
October 24 was the evening their music was recorded “live” for all to hear. Skelton’s Montourage Live @ Penny Lane
was the effort and brain child of Ms. Robin Church to initiate the James W.
Church & Gary Hester Jazz Assistantship at the University of Evansville.
This project is part of an ongoing fundraiser to benefit the talented musicians
at the university. It was also a labor-of-love that honors her late father and
son.
Also featured on this
CD is Tina Kern-Raibley (keys), Andy Gillespie (trumpet0, and Alex Schnaupz
(baritone sax). It presents an interesting capsule of the band in its present
form. The Montourage is a band that is a must-see, regardless of the venue.
This evening they wowed the crowd and left us fortunate-few wanting more.
The Montourage rolls
through the classics like “Blue Bossa,” “Afro Blue” or “Watermelon Man” with a
modern flair that, at the same time, gives the respect due to the original
intent of the composers. Their rendition
of “Crazy,” the Gnarls Barkley tune is always a fan favorite. And when they
kick it with “Frankenstein” and “Superstition” that’s when the dancing begins.
The recording and
production was done by Greg Loomis. He had a small area to work with and
handled the limitations of the environment as well as he could. The final product is a good snapshot of this
band at that time. My only disappointment is that there is very little bottom
and the “presence” of the actual performance is sadly lacking. But, all in all,
it is worth being in my collection. Plus, mine is autographed!
Next time you see Paul
and Heidi Krause of Penny Lane, thank them for all the great music they allowed
the Tri-State to see and hear. And if you would like to get a copy of Skelton’s Montourage Live @ Penny Lane
contact Robin Church at churchbird@insightbb.com
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Credit Facebook.com
