Monte on Bass

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Cute MySpace Layouts Born in Decatur, Alabama, Monte moved around the south attending school in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. Growing up, there was always music in the home, with his dad playing guitar, mandolin, five string banjo, and many others. After being a metal/ fusion guitarist during high school, he discovered jazz playing piano in the high school jazz band.As a music major at Southern Nazarene University, Monte moved to electric bass and then upright bass as a freshman to fill a need for the university jazz band. After taking a few lessons, upright became a passion, and he quit guitar to concentrate on the bass.During a university workshop, Monte got his first mentor in saxophone legend Don Lanphere. He was given the opportunity to play with Don several more times during college, and grew from these encounters.After college, Monte began playing local Oklahoma City gigs as a founding member of the Earl Enterline Quartet, performing at several events as well as the Jazz in June Festival of Norman. He was also in the house band for Bianca's Jazz club for the summer of 1996. It was during a gig for the Redbud Festival of Norman that he met the second mentor that really developed him as a musician, trumpeter and drummer Stephen Fulton.For the next 9 years, Monte would become Stephen's bassist, performing in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas with Stephen amd his immensely talented pianist and vocalist daughter, Champian. Monte also free-lanced with several other good musicians and as a member of the Bob Norris Trio, the Issei Aoyama Trio, and many others. He was also blessed to be able to sit in with such jazz greats as John Hicks and Louis Hayes.Currently, Monte has moved to North Mississippi and looks forward to exploring the jazz scene in and around Memphis.