J.R. Monterose
b. Frank Anthony Monterose, 19 January 1927, Detroit, Michigan, USA. After gaining experience playing tenor saxophone in a number of mid-western bands of the '40s, Monterose joined Buddy Rich in the early '50s. Subsequently, he became well known on the New York bebop scene, playing and recording with a wide range of musicians, including Charles Mingus and Kenny Dorham. Although he has worked elsewhere, including a spell of some three years in Belgium, Monterose has chosen to spend much of his career in and around New York and Albany, thus limiting his international reputation. A soft-spoken, introverted individual, Monterose plays with a rich and warm sound and in an intensely melodic style.