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Monty Alexander

“For the most part, when I play music, I smell it and see colors. Every song has its own personality, its own soul, and if I can’t feel it, I can’t play it with feeling. I don’t understand what it is that makes me different, but I feel I have very little in common with anybody else. I seem to be my own strange character. If I’m right in my motivations and attitude, amazing things happen.”—Monty Alexander, 2010

“I love Jamaica. I love America. I love them both together more than each one separately. I inhabit the rhythmic aspect of both things. I can’t explain why. I do it naturally and joyfully. I am confident and proud and privileged to say that I come from a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic thing. The slogan of Jamaica is like America’s ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ ‘out of many, one people.’”—Monty Alexander, 2014

Fifty-five years after he moved to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, his home town, pianist Monty Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. His spirited conception is one informed by the timeless verities: endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, sophisticated voicings, a romantic spirit, and a consistent predisposition, as Alexander accurately states, “to build up the heat and kick up a storm.” In the course of any given performance, Alexander applies those aesthetics to repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expression—the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and reggae. Like his “eternal inspiration,” Erroll Garner, Alexander—cited as the fifth greatest jazz pianist ever in The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time (Hal Leonard Publishing) and mentioned in Robert Doerschuk’s 88: The Giants of Jazz Piano—gives the hardcore-jazz-obsessed much to dig into while also communicating the message to the squarest “civilian.”

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5, taking his first piano lessons at 6. He resisted formal instruction, but still, growing up in Kingston, absorbed all the musical flavors that comprise his mature sonic palette. “I soaked up everything—the calypso band playing at the swimming pool in the country, local guys at jam sessions who wished they were Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, a dance band playing Jamaican melodies, songs that Belafonte would have sung,” he recalls. When Alexander was 9, his father, a Kingston merchant, brought him to hear and play for the legendary pianist Eddie Heywood. At 10, he saw Nat “King” Cole play at Kingston’s Carib Theater, the same venue where, at 13, he heard a concert featuring Louis Armstrong.

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Play This!

Monty Alexander: No Woman No Cry

Read "Monty Alexander: No Woman No Cry" reviewed by Geno Thackara


A regular dose of Monty Alexander is good for the soul. He always has an inner positivity running through everything he touches--much like his most-admired heroes, such as fellow Jamaican icon Bob Marley. Combine the spirits of the two, as with a heart-stirring take on the warmest of Marley songs, and you've got a special kind of uplifting. ...

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Album Review

Monty Alexander: Love You Madly: Live at Bubba's

Read "Love You Madly: Live at Bubba's" reviewed by Jim Worsley


Risk and reward is honored in the selection of this premium sound night club gig from nearly forty years ago. Just how such a recording is going to play in a current climate is tricky business. Is it vintage or is it outdated? Is it a fond remembrance or better left forgotten? The answers are of course in the ear of the beholder. Certainly, the spirit and energy play well in any time period. Jamaican born pianist Monty ...

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Live Review

Charleston Jazz Festival 2020

Read "Charleston Jazz Festival 2020" reviewed by Martin McFie


Various Venues Charleston Jazz Festival Charleston, SC January 23-26, 2020 Jazz Festivals are like people, six years old is still in infancy, but everything has to start somewhere. Historically, the city which gave birth to the Charleston dance craze and was the inspiration for Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, deserves The Charleston Jazz Festival. The first evening of music was given by local bands at Joe Clarke's recently opened Forte Jazz Lounge on King Street, where ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Monty Alexander, Trombone Shorty, Bonerama And More

Read "Monty Alexander, Trombone Shorty, Bonerama And More" reviewed by Joe Dimino


This week we open with a titan in the world of jazz, Monty Alexander. He does his rendition of “Day O Banana Boat" and discusses his latest Monk album and so much more. We also feature a Frank Sinatra tune to memorialize a big moment in the life of Monty. From there, we focus on the world of New Orleans with a host of artists, from James Martin to his friend Trombone Shorty and back to a legend like Pete ...

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Live Review

Monty Alexander at the Avalon Theater

Read "Monty Alexander at the Avalon Theater" reviewed by Geno Thackara


Monty Alexander and Friends The Avalon Theater Easton, MD August 31, 2019 “Ten years," Monty Alexander wryly observed at the center-stage microphone with a disbelieving shake of the head. “Ten years of this festival, and 75 years as me." It was a celebration of multiple anniversaries at the weekend-long Labor Day jazz celebration that bears his name. The Jamaican pianist was in fine spirits talking about his most recent birthday milestone—more so than usual, that ...

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Interview

Monty Alexander: Still Rolling

Read "Monty Alexander: Still Rolling" reviewed by Geno Thackara


If there's one defining quality to Monty Alexander's music, it's joy. An unmistakable undercurrent of happiness has been constant across several decades, dozens of recordings and countless performances all over the world. He could be honoring classic jazz balladeers, exploring the danceable “riddims" of his native Jamaica or anything in between, and you can always hear the spirit of celebration in there somewhere. Alexander turns out to be just as delightful and effusive in conversation as he is ...

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Radio & Podcasts

Monty Alexander Live at BIMHUIS Amsterdam

Read "Monty Alexander Live at BIMHUIS Amsterdam" reviewed by BIMHUIS


Monty Alexander is back to Bimhuis with his trio after his sold out gig in 2013; a fresh opportunity to catch the famous pianist in an intimate setting. Monty Alexander's playing balances jazz, soul and Caribbean styles such as calypso and reggae. As a teenager the pianist moved from Jamaica to New York. He played with Frank Sinatra and Ray Brown and made his breakthrough as a solo artist in the 1970s. Personnel: Monty Alexander ...

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Festival

CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival Adds Puss N Boots Featuring Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones & Catherine Popper, And Wynonna Judd & The Big Noise Added To Headliner Lineup

CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival Adds Puss N Boots Featuring Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones & Catherine Popper, And Wynonna Judd & The Big Noise Added To Headliner Lineup

Source: Dalmath Associates Inc.

Tickets are now on sale for two more headliners added to the CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival 2020 headliner lineup – Puss N Boots- featuring Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones & Catherine Popper, and Wynonna & The Big Noise. Puss N Boots—featuring Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones & Catherine Popper will perform on Friday June 19. Puss N Boots first formed in 2008 as a live band performing around Brooklyn. With a repertoire anchored in Americana, country, folk, pop and rock, the band ...

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Performance / Tour

Dr. Monty Alexander At Dazzle in Denver On May 7-8!

Dr. Monty Alexander At Dazzle in Denver On May 7-8!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

Dazzle 1512 Curtis St. Denver, CO 80202 (303) 839-5100 Dr. Monty Alexander: piano JJ Shakur: bass Jason Brown: drums “We had a great run in D.C. at Blues Alley, at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in jny: New York City, at Triple Door in jny: Seattle and at Catalina's in jny: Los Angeles! Come join us at Dazzle in jny: Denver on May 7-8 before we lift off for Europe!" —Dr. Monty ...

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Performance / Tour

Dr. Monty Alexander At Birdland On January 15-19 With "Love Letters" From Jamaica To Jazz!

Dr. Monty Alexander At Birdland On January 15-19 With "Love Letters" From Jamaica To Jazz!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

THE LEGENDARY JAMAICAN PIANO MASTER Dr. Monty Alexander Love Notes: From Jamaica to Jazz At Birdland from January 15-19 Reserve Now! Monty Alexander: piano JJ Shakur: bass Jason Brown: drums January 15-19, 2019 Birdland 315 W. 44th St. New York, NY 10036 Phone: 212-581-3080 Frank Sinatra wrote 'The Kid is a Gas' in the liner notes of Monty's first album ...

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Performance / Tour

Monty Alexander's Harlem Kingston Express At Scullers On September 30th!

Monty Alexander's Harlem Kingston Express At Scullers On September 30th!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

THE LEGENDARY JAMAICAN PIANO MASTER—MONTY ALEXANDER—HARLEM KINGSTON EXPRESS Scullers Jazz Club September 30th One Night Only! Returns to New England Hot Off Their Newport Jazz Festival Explosion! On the heels of his recent sensational concert at the Newport Jazz Festival, Monty Alexander returns to New England with his Harlem Kingston Express for a special one-off only concert on Friday, September 30 at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston. Not to be missed! Musicians Monty Alexander- ...

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Performance / Tour

Monty Alexander At The Blue Note - August 23-28 With Three Exclusive Bands!

Monty Alexander At The Blue Note - August 23-28 With Three Exclusive Bands!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

MONTY ALEXANDER TRIFECTA AT THE BLUE NOTE THREE GREAT BANDS IN A ONE WEEK RUN! AUGUST 23-AUGUST 28 The great Jamaican born pianist Monty Alexander thrills audiences wherever he goes- from the Montreux Jazz Festival to the great jazz clubs of the world. This month the Master brings in three different bands, showcasing his diversity and consistent ability to bring light and joy to the jazz world. The world-famous Blue Note Jazz Club is proud to ...

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Performance / Tour

Monty Alexander Trio's Historic 40-Year Reunion At Catalina Jazz Club on July 10

Monty Alexander Trio's Historic 40-Year Reunion At Catalina Jazz Club on July 10

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

One of the Greatest Trios in Jazz! MONTY ALEXANDER, JOHN CLAYTON, JEFF HAMILTON A 40th Year Reunion Concert! One Night Only at Catalina Jazz Club! Hollywood, CA Sunday, July 10 Widely considered to be among the greatest trios in jazz (ever!), Monty Alexander (piano), John Clayton (bass), and Jeff Hamilton (drums) have delivered the most tastefully elegant, swinging, and soul-stirring jazz for 40 years, album after album, festival after festival, Grammy after ...

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Performance / Tour

Monty Alexander's Harlem-Kingston Express This Week At Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola!

Monty Alexander's Harlem-Kingston Express This Week At Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola!

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

THE LEGENDARY JAMAICAN PIANO MASTER—MONTY ALEXANDER This Week at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola Through Sunday! Reserve Now! Monty Alexander returns to Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center this week through Sunday, June 5 with a magnificent and expanded version of Harlem Kingston Express. Monty and HKE will play and tell stories of his own and Jamaica's music history with special guests throughout the week. Not to be missed! Musicians and guests throughout the week will ...

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Performance / Tour

Legendary Jamaican Piano Master Monty Alexander Harlem-Kingston Express at Catalina's On November 13-14

Legendary Jamaican Piano Master Monty Alexander Harlem-Kingston Express at Catalina's On November 13-14

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

A REGGAE-JAZZ PARTY! Plus Special Surprise Guests Rare L.A. Appearance! Catalina Bar & Grill in jny: Los Angeles November 13-14, 2015 Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge in jny: Denver November 11-12, 2015 Monty Alexander is on a roll having a sold-out European summer tour, then bringing his Harlem-Kingston Express roaring into the Motor City for the 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival in September, he now leads this rockin' crew to Los Angeles' famed Catalina's. ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Monty Alexander, Antonio Figura, the Miles Davis statue unveiled, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

Jazz this week: Monty Alexander, Antonio Figura, the Miles Davis statue unveiled, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

While jazz fans from all over the world will be taking note of the long-awaited unveiling of the Miles Davis statue Saturday in Alton, IL, there also will be plenty of other interesting jazz and creative music events happening all around the St. Louis area. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, September 9 In his first St. Louis show in more than a decade, pianist Monty Alexander and his trio will perform for the first of two evenings at Jazz ...

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Performance / Tour

Monty Alexander's Harlem-Kingston Express at the Detroit Jazz Festival on September 7

Monty Alexander's Harlem-Kingston Express at the Detroit Jazz Festival on September 7

Source: Scott Thompson Public Relations

THE LEGENDARY JAMAICAN PIANO MASTER—MONTY ALEXANDER HARLEM-KINGSTON EXPRESS AT THE 2015 DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 7th On the heals of his recently sold-out European tour, Monty Alexander brings his Harlem-Kingston Express roaring into the Motor City for the 2015 Detroit Jazz Festival on September 7th! One of the best shows you'll ever see live—this funky band will get the crowd up and rockin'! The 36th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival Labor Day Weekend is the world's largest free jazz festival! ...

Photos

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

The Many Moods of...

Arkadia Records
2022

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The Stars of Jazz #2

Arkadia Records
2022

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That's Funky

Arkadia Records
2021

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Love You Madly: Live...

Resonance Records
2020

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Been Down This Road Before

From: Been Down This Road Before
By Monty Alexander

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