A new Marcus Monteiro Quartet recording comes as good news indeed. The ebullient alto saxophonist plays with the energy of Maceo Parker and the enthusiasm of a beggar at his first banquet. The recording, Another Part of Me, is a dramatic raising of the bar for the young lion, a hyper link to the next level in terms of tunes, in terms of notes, in terms of all around alchemy. Joined by John Harrison III on piano, Fernando Huergo on bass, and Steve Langone on drums, Monteiro is in excellent fettle, surrounded by equally energetic bandmates, all of whom are driving in the same direction. His latest album—covering material from such disparate sources as Horace Silver, Michael Jackson and Soundgarden—indicates what Monteiro can accomplish in such serious jazz company. His ability to bridge the classic and the contemporary is one of his signatures and a huge reason why you need to hear his new record right here and now.
