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Thana Alexa

Surprising is the word that perhaps best describes Grammy® nominated, Downbeat cover artist and winner of the International Songwriting Competition, Thana Alexa, an extraordinarily creative force in music. Her 2x Grammy® nominated album ONA (self-release, March 2020), was inspired by the cross generational and cross-cultural stories of the immigrant women in her family and evolved into an exploration of the experiences of contemporary women everywhere. 

ONA has spawned more female-focused projects: Alexa, together with Grammy® nominated artist, Nicole Zuraitis and first-call bassist, Julia Adamy formed SONICA, a dynamic trio that incorporates intricate vocal harmonies, electronics, vocal loops, percussion, electric bass, and keyboards over a blend of original music and modern arrangements. The trio’s self-titled debut album, fully engineered, produced and mixed by Thana Alexa was released on September 30, 2022 via Outside In Music. The album was listed as one of Downbeat Magazine's "Best Albums of 2022." Alexa also created the project Founding Mothers of Jazz in conjunction with MusicTalks Concerts to honor the history of women in jazz, many who are not historically recognized for their contributions because of their gender. 

One of Alexa’s most important and ongoing collaborations has been with her husband, four-time Grammy® winner Antonio Sanchez. Alexa has recorded 3 albums with his band Migration and toured with the group worldwide. Alexa also sings lead vocal in the live production of Sanchez's newest project, Bad Hombre, which features the music of 12 guest artists who appear on his album, including Trent Reznor, Dave Matthews, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lila Downs, Kimbra, Silvana Estrada, Thana Alexa, her trio SONICA and others. The album, SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol. II) was released on August 26, 2022 on Warner Music

During the 2020 Coronavirus lockdown, Alexa made headlines as a co-founder of what Rolling Stone called the first “virtual jazz festival” and fundraising initiative, Live From Our Living Rooms. Together with co-founders Owen Broder and Sirintip, the team contracted over 120 artists, raised over $140,000, and helped facilitate grants to over 100 US based musicians in need. Live From Our Living Rooms received attention from Rolling Stone, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the BBC, and more. 

Awards

• 2021 Grammy® nominated artist (Best Jazz Vocal Album) • 2021 Winner - Downbeat Magazine Critic’s Poll Rising Star Female Vocalist • 2021 Jazz Journalist AssociationNominee for Vocalist of the Year • Co-Founder/ Executive Director of LiveFrom Our Living Rooms (raised over$140k for artists during pandemic) • May 2020 Downbeat Cover Artist • 2019 Cafe Royal Cultural FoundationMusic Grantee • Runner up 2014 Made in NY JazzCompetition • Winner 2011 Jazzon Alpe-Adria International Composition Competition • 2011 Nominee Best Jazz Composition award by Porin (Croatian Music Academy)


Tags

7
Album Review

Benjamin Koppel: White Buses: Passage To Freedom

Read "White Buses: Passage To Freedom" reviewed by Doug Collette


If saxophonist/composer/bandleader Benjamin Koppel has proven anything over the last few years, it is that he has no trouble finding sources of inspiration for his work. Whether it is just for the sake of blowing with a redoubtable rhythm section in the form of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade on Perspective (Cowbell Music, 2023) or illustrating his own range of style with The Ultimate Soul & Jazz Revue (Cowbell Music, 2020) and The Art of The ...

3
Album Review

Vladimir Samardzic: Catching the Wind

Read "Catching the Wind" reviewed by Nenad Georgievski


It is amazing that after 30 years as a bassist for various jazz, blues, and various other combos (most notably the Vasil Hadzimanov band), composer, bassist, and educator Vlada Samardzic has released his debut album under his name rather than using a band title. Catching the Wind showcases the kind of magic that appears when the right people, with the right skills and communication, come together at the right time to play on the right material. As an ...

1
Album Review

Thana Alexa: ONA

Read "ONA" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Ci giunge con un po' di ritardo questo secondo disco della talentuosa vocalist e compositrice Thana Alexa, ma va assolutamente considerato. Anche questo, come già il debutto Ode to Heroes, è un tributo: dalle figure musicali che l'hanno influenzata siamo passati a una celebrazione del genere femminile e al ruolo—spesso sottovalutato—che svolgono nel mondo. Nata a New York da famiglia croata, Thana è tornata nell'infanzia in Croazia dov'è rimasta per completare i suoi studi. Successivamente si è ...

3
Album Review

Nicole Zuraitis: All Wandering Hearts

Read "All Wandering Hearts" reviewed by Geno Thackara


Nicole Zuraitis has a heart full of soul and a voice full of sunshine. She's got a mix of things on her mind with her fourth album, everyday themes and weighty matters alike, and yet they ultimately come out sounding exuberant in her hands. The fundamental optimism is one key asset of All Wandering Hearts, even if her variety of jazzy coffee-shop balladry is no less eloquent in the spots when things get more somber. The too-spirited-for-AOR “Make ...

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Interview

Thana Alexa, Sirintip and Owen Broder: Beaming Live Jazz From Their Living Rooms To Yours

Read "Thana Alexa, Sirintip and Owen Broder: Beaming Live Jazz From Their Living Rooms To Yours" reviewed by Michael Ricci


All About Jazz was in a unique position to help promote and broadcast the Live From Our Living Rooms Festival & Fundraiser to our readers from April 1-7, 2020 as we presented select performances over the seven days. Similar to the NEA Jazz Masters concert we broadcasted last April, I felt a personal connection to the Living Room project and was intent on seeing All About Jazz do its part to help it succeed. Organized by musicians Sirintip “Tippan" Phasuk, ...

6
Album Review

Thana Alexa: ONA

Read "ONA" reviewed by Doug Collette


A departure from Thana Alexa's first album Ode to Heroes (Harmonia Mundi/Jazz Village, 2015), ONA is also rooted in jazz, but it showcases Alexa's use of her voice as both a lyrical and experimental instrument. Commencing immediately on the title tune, this mostly original material features arrangements in various combinations of atmospheric, electronic soundscapes and exotic instrumental textures, complementing a voice which enchants as often through its feather-light air as its full-throated tones. Co-produced with master drummer Antonio Sanchez--with whom ...

4
Album Review

Thana Alexa: ONA

Read "ONA" reviewed by Geno Thackara


Thana Alexa's voice contains a world of sound, and that is without even mentioning the globe-spanning musical trappings which surround it. Hearing her is like watching a thunderstorm or maybe a wild hawk in flight. She doesn't just sing but uses her voice as an expressive precision instrument, in much the same way all the tones and electronics here are sculpted into an unclassifiably genre-defying whole. Her rich contralto can also be honey-smooth and soothing in the (relatively) rare calm ...

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Festival

Live From Our Living Rooms: An Online Music Festival and Fundraiser Runs April 1st through April 7th

Live From Our Living Rooms: An Online Music Festival and Fundraiser Runs April 1st through April 7th

Source: Lydia Liebman Promotions

All proceeds will provide emergency relief to New York City musicians whose freelance careers have been impacted by COVID-19. Presented by Sirintip, Thana Alexa, Owen Broder and nonprofit partner, MusicTalks Work for NYC’s musicians has come to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic as performances have been cancelled and venues have closed indefinitely. Live From Our Living Rooms Music Festival and Fundraiser will help to fill in the gap for struggling musicians by bringing the joy of music live-streamed ...

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Recording

Vocalist Thana Alexa Immortalizes Personal and Musical Influences on Path to Self-Discovery with Debut Album, "Ode To Heroes"

Vocalist Thana Alexa Immortalizes Personal and Musical Influences on Path to Self-Discovery with Debut Album, "Ode To Heroes"

Source: All About Jazz

Available March 10 via Jazz Village Album Features Collaborations with Antonio Sanchez, Donny McCaslin, and Scott Colley “Ode To Heroes is an impressive collection of ambitious music beautifully pulled together by the powerful vocals of Thana Alexa that gives it all continuity. Alexa's music is challenging, but her use of the musicians and her voice makes everything sound natural and easy." —Pat Metheny “Thana Alexa is a great new talent...has a beautiful voice and is a great composer and bandleader... ...

“Each [ONA] track brings a new lens to the female experience: from prophesies disbelieved, to resistance, to sexuality, to awareness of mother earth herself.” - Forbes

"...a jazz singer with a global perspective..." - The New York Times

"...Thana Alexa stood out, turning a style of scatting that’s become cliche into something entirely new, evocative, and exhilarating!" - Billboard

"Thana isn't afraid to take risks. Her vocal performances are powerful, vulnerable, joyful, spiritual and genuine. Her use of rhythm, textures and intricate harmonies is unique and at times, complex

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

New York City

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

• New School University Faculty (2021-present) • New York Jazz Academy (2016 - present) • JMI Summer Jazz Camp - Groznjan, Croatia (2018 - present) • Mark Murphy's Music - South Orange, NJ (2014 - present) • Langnau Jazz Workshop (July 2015) • Frank Sinatra School of the Arts After SchoolProgram (2009 - 2010)

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

ONA

Self Produced
2020

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Lagos Pepper Soup

Self Produced
2020

buy

All Wandering Hearts

Dot Time Records
2020

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Apotheosis

SIMP Records
2019

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https://soundcloud.com/thana-alexa/sets/ona?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Videos

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