This has been a difficult time at Cryptogramophone. In the last month we lost two great artists who touched our lives and impacted the world of music; Andrew Hill and Alexandra Montano. To read Nels Cline's remembrance of Andrew Hill, please visit his website at nelscline.com.
I had the good fortune of knowing French vocalist Alexandra Montano a little bit, although I now wish I had known her better. I first met Alexandra at the sessions for Mark Dresser and Denman Maroney’s 2005 Cryptogramophone recording Time Changes. The sessions took place at Michael Brorby’s studio in Brooklyn. I walked in and the first thing I noticed was Alexandra on the floor doing yoga and vocalizing. Once the rehearsals started, I was amazed at how well this talented singer negotiated Mark and Denman’s incredibly difficult music. This is music that sometimes changes meter every other bar, and often has instruments playing in different meters at the same time. The quality of Alexandra's voice, her musicianship, and her sense of pitch were outstanding. Then I heard her improvise, and wondered why I had never heard of her before. As it turns out she was quite well known in the world of contemporary classical music, but she could improvise jazz almost instinctively. She was a joy to work with, and was a consummate professional. She was also a dedicated parent. I remember her talking with Mark about her teenage son, always interested in a man’s perspective on the problems of raising a teenager.
About nine months ago, Alexandra was diagnosed with a brain tumor. What a shock. It seemed inconceivable that someone so alive and talented could be given a diagnosis like that. She fought bravely, but ultimately succumbed to the disease last week. Our condolences go out to her family and friends who supported her to the end. If you’ve never heard Alexandra Montano’s music, I recommend you check out her website at alexandramontano.com, and also check out the first MP3 on Mark Dresser/Denman Maroney’s CD Time Changes at cryptogramophone.com. Alexandra was a talented musician, and a beautiful soul. She will be deeply missed.
