Jack Montrose

Who was Jack Montrose?

Jack Montrose was a jazz tenor saxophonist and arranger. After attending university in Los Angeles he worked with Jerry Gray and then Art Pepper. Montrose also did arrangements for Clifford Brown. He became known for cool jazz and/or West coast jazz.

Beginning in the mid-1950s Montrose's heroin addiction became a liability and by the time he had overcome it his style of jazz was no longer popular. This led him to play in strip joints for a time until he relocated to Las Vegas where he worked in casinos. Montrose returned to recording in 1977 and in 1986 had some success in collaboration with Pete Jolly.

Jack Montrose is not to be confused with tenorist J.R. Monterose who played on Charles Mingus's album Pithecanthropus Erectus.