Personnel:
Rita Reys, Elia Fleta (vcl), Bengt Hallberg, Tete Montoliu (p), Gunnar Larsson, Eric Peter, Giovanni Tommaso (b), Egil Johansen, Peer Wyboris, Gege Munari (d)
Reference: FSR V145 CD
Bar code: 8427328641456
The Best Voices Time Forgot
Collectible Albums by Top Female Vocalists
· Collector's Edition
· 1 Original LP + 2 EPs on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art
· Complete Personnel Details
· New liner Notes
· Stereo Recordings
· Newly Remastered in 24-Bit
Two 'Jazzy' People
Rita Reys (1924–2013) was born in Rotterdam, Holland. She started singing at school parties and soon pursued music seriously. After an early interest in pop, she discovered jazz in 1943 when she met Wessel Ilcken, Holland’s top drummer at the time. They later married, and under his influence—along with inspiration from Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday—she developed her own unique style. Sharing the spotlight on this album is Bengt Hallberg (1932–2013), widely regarded as the finest Swedish jazz pianist of his generation. He played with American jazz greats who visited Sweden during the 1950s, including Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Clifford Brown, and Quincy Jones. Here, in addition to brilliantly accompanying Rita—both solo and in a trio with Gunnar Larsson (b) and Egil Johansen (d)—he also shines on a couple of instrumental tracks, including a solo piano performance. This sophisticated collection of jazz standards showcases Rita Reys’ ability to bring her own personality to every song. Two ’Jazzy’ People come together here, inspiring each other to deliver truly exciting performances.
Tete Montoliu Presenta Elia Fleta
Elia Fleta (1928-2019) was an outstanding, though little-known, jazz singer. Her vocal talent and unique style led her to join in 1966 the great pianist Tete Montoliu's Trio, which included Eric Peter on bass and Peer Wyboris on drums, and to record with them for the Concentric label. On these studio recordings, Elia performed jazz classics such as “I Fall in Love Too Easy,” “Love for Sale,” “Lush Life,” and “Honeysuckle Rose,” as well as Catalan adaptations of classics such as “Les fulles mortes” (Autumn Leaves). In 1967, Elia was invited to perform on the Italian radio station RAI, where she was again accompanied by Tete Montoliu on piano, but this time with Giovanni Tommaso on bass and Gege Munari on drums. During this performance, she performed songs such as “Honeysuckle Rose,”“Lush Life,” and “Love for Sale,” surpassing her previous studio versions. Although his career as a jazz singer was brief, it was a crucial period that cemented Elia Fleta's position as one of the great voices of European jazz. His legacy lives on through his current recordings, highlighted by his mastery of the genre and his solid performance with Tete Montoliu's Trio.
