For those not in the know, the award-winning independent jazz label Resonance Records has just unearthed yet another hitherto unheard gem with the release of the two-LP recording by master pianist and GRAMMY® Award-nominee Monty Alexander, Love You Madly: Live at Bubba’s.

Drawn from Alexander’s personal collection, the vigorous, imaginative performances on Love You Madly were recorded at the titular Fort Lauderdale, FL, nightclub on August 6th, 1982.

The recording engineer was the late Mack Emerman, legendary founder of Miami’s Criteria Recording Studios, the state-of-the-art facility where the Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, and Aretha Franklin, among many others, had cut some of their biggest pop hits.

Disc 1:
1. 'Arthur's Theme' (7:42)
2. 'Love You Madly' (8:08)
3. 'Samba De Orfeu' (6:26)
4. 'Sweet Lady' (5:57)
5. 'Eleuthra' (9:34)
6. 'Reggae Later' (7:49)

This 13-track, 92-minute release makes its first CD appearance as a two-disc package, available everywhere now, and opens on the stupendous, and totally captivating 'Arthur's Theme,' which itself sets the listener up very nicely for what's to come.

And that would be the title track, the lushly divine orchestrations of 'Love You Madly' which are backed by the upbeat, gently frenetic, yet always controlled percussion work of 'Samba De Orfeu,' the ornately stunning 'Sweet Lady,' and then both the lo-fi funky smoothness of 'Eleuthra,' and the melodic, Caribbean-imbued 'Reggae Later' bringing the first disc to a close.

Disc 2:
1. 'Blues For Edith' (6:46)
2. 'Fungii Mama' (10:08)
3. 'Consider' (6:08)
4. 'Montevideo' (7:06)
5. 'Body and Soul' (7:20)
6. 'Swamp Fire' (3:53)
7. 'SKJ' (4:55)

The second disc opens on the snazzy, jazzy blues of 'Blues For Edith' which is followed by the furtively upbeat and joyous 'Fungii Mama,' the delicate, fragile 'Consider,' the deliriously obsessive 'Montevideo,' and then we get the sweepingly elegant 'Body and Soul,' with the second disc rounding out on the frenetic wonderment of 'Swamp Fire,' closing on the playful jaunt of 'SKJ.'

In his overview essay, jazz historian Willard Jenkins says of the resultant recording, “For this date at Bubba’s, Monty Alexander drew up neatly balanced set lists that touched upon several facets of his expansive bag, including standards, ballads, blues, island perspectives and southern exposures ranging as far south as Brazil."

"[Love You Madly] provides a wonderful survey of the leader's gifts and his enormous rhythmic palette on the wings of his consummate piano artistry.”

Booklets for both the LP and CD editions include fresh interviews, newly commissioned essays, and photos by Jan Persson, Raymond Ross, Brian McMillen and Brigitte Charvolin. Accompanying Alexander on this spirited live date are bassist Paul Berner (Lionel Hampton Orchestra), drummer Duffy Jackson (Milt Jackson, Benny Carter), and percussionist Robert Thomas, Jr. (Weather Report, Jaco Pastorius, Carlos Santana).

FYI: The limited-edition vinyl package is mastered by Bernie Grundman and pressed at 33-1/3 rpm by RTI.

Official Purchase Link