PRLog (Press Release) – Dec 06, 2011 – Collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music business, recording more than 70 albums, and performing at the worlds top festivals and clubs has accustomed Monty Alexander to life in the fast lane. During his 50-year career in music, the Jamaican-American composer, pianist and melodica player has worked with a gamut of superstars including Frank Sinatra, Dizzie Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, Ernest Ranglin, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Bill Cosby and Bobby McFerrin. Mr. Alexander will be performing this weekend at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Alexanders influence on music has been duly noted. In the 2005 book, The Greatest Jazz Pianists of All Time, he was named among the top five. Yet, unlike many musicians whose careers derail, Alexander has remained on track and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, reviewers say, he is gaining steam. His latest release, Monty Alexander Harlem-Kingston Express Live! (Motma Music), a cross-cultural hit that artfully melds jazz and reggae, is nominated for Best Reggae Album at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. (The ceremony takes place Feb. 12 in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT.)
Check out this amazing video of Monty Alexander & the Harlem-Kingston Express performing in France in 2010.Collaborating with some of the biggest names in the music business, recording more than 70 albums, and performing at the worlds top festivals and clubs has accustomed Monty Alexander to life in the fast lane.
During his 50-year career in music, the Jamaican-American composer, pianist and melodica player has worked with a gamut of superstars including Frank Sinatra, Dizzie Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Wynton Marsalis, Ernest Ranglin, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Bill Cosby and Bobby McFerrin.
News of the albums Grammy nomination on Nov. 30 caught Alexander by surprise in his New York home.
Ive been up and down the musical highways for many years and the most exciting aspect has always been making the music, but to hear that the music industry noticed the album and thinks it deserves a Grammy nomination is amazing and makes me feel very honored, said Alexander, 67, who began playing piano at age six.
His mastery of the piano and the melodica, an instrument resembling a large harmonica with a keyboard, resonates throughout Harlem-Kingston Express: Live! Recorded at Dizzys Club Coca Cola (Jazz at Lincoln Center) in New York City in 2010 and at performances in Jamaica, Germany, France and Holland, the album steamrolled up the U.S. radio charts this summer, landing in the #1 spots for 18 weeks on the jazz and world charts concurrently.
Along with new takes on Bob Marley’s “The Heathen” and “No Woman, No Cry,” the album includes Alexander’s original “Strawberry Hill” (named for one of his cherished Jamaican haunts), and a special interpretation of the Milt Jackson jazz classic, “Compassion.”
‘Zander,” as Alexanders friends call him, sits at the piano, seamlessly steering the powerhouse on an epic musical adventure.Despite the new Grammy nomination, Alexander remains humble. Im grateful for everything Ive experienced so far in the music world and looking forward to what the future may bring, he added.In addition to receiving his first Grammy nomination, 2011 has also been a landmark year in other ways for Alexander. To celebrate his 50th anniversary in music, he also released another critically-acclaimed album in June – Uplift (Jazz Legacy Productions)
Along with releasing two major hits, Alexander toured extensively in Europe, Asia and America. His whirlwind year culminates with two major U.S. performances:
Lincoln Center in NYC on Dec. 9-10
Blues Alley in Washington , D.C. on Dec. 28-31
Without missing a beat, Alexander is already gearing up for an exciting 2012, including a possible two-week special performance in February at the legendary Blue Note in NYC, which will feature guest performers from his past and present. Plus, hes working out details to record a new studio Harlem-Kingston Express CD. As the groups engineer and conductor, he has announced that the new project is full steam ahead!
As if thats not enough excitement, the energetic musician, who was bestowed the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican government in 2000 and serves as a worldwide music ambassador for his home country, is also planning several events next year to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jamaicas Independence.
Born in Kingston in 1944, Alexander grew up absorbing Caribbean music, listening to his mother sing soulful jazz tunes and attending concerts by Louis Armstrong and Nat “King” Cole at Kingston’s Carib Theater.
Although he is most widely known in Jazz, Alexander was a pioneer of the Jamaican “yard” movement. His first band, “Monty and The Cyclones,” formed in the early 60s, focused on native Jamaican music (mento, ska and R&B). Early performances can be heard on seminal reggae recordings from Federal Recording Studio, which later launched the careers of Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and others. Over the years, his strong,
swinging style was influenced by greats such as Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly and Ahmad Jamal.
Alexanders family moved to Miami in 1961. Soon he was playing in local clubs. Within a few years, he was a member of Art Mooneys orchestra in Vegas, where he was spotted by Frank Sinatra and Jilly Rizzo, who owned a famous New York City club. In a flash, Alexander was working at the legendary Jillys, accompanying Sinatra and other greats such as Modern Jazz Quartet vibraphonist Milt Jackson and legendary bassist
Ray Brown.
Over the decades, doors continued to open for Alexander as others found out about his unique versatility. In 1991, he assisted vocalist Natalie Cole with a tribute to her father, Nat King Cole. The album, Unforgettable,
In 2008, Alexander was invited by Wynton Marsalis to conceive and direct a new program for Jazz at Lincoln Center. The result was the acclaimed Lords of the West Indies Series. The next year, he returned to Jazz at Lincoln Center with another new creation, Harlem-Kingston Express. Since then, the train has been rolling steadily down the right track with tremendous radio airplay and sold-out shows around the globe.
For Alexander, the journey has just begun.
With Harlem-Kingston Express, we are looking to bridge the gap, connecting people from various walks of life,” reflects Alexander. “I want to reach the people of Jamaica, the people of America, the people everywhere. Its exciting to see such diverse crowds at the shows. No matter where we perform, we see people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds in the audience, which is what I want. Were off to a great start, but we’ve still got a lot of miles to cover and a lot of songs to play.
