Posts Tagged ‘Caribbean American Heritage Month’

Jamaican Born, Jazz Great Dr. Monty Alexander To Mark Caribbean American Heritage Month In D.C.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 7, 2022: One of the Caribbean’s premier artiste, Jamaican-born, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, will mark National Caribbean American Heritage Month in Washington, D.C., this weekend with his 51st annual performance at the famed Blues Alley Jazz Club.

Fresh from captivating audiences in France and Japan, Alexander returns to his loyal fan base in Washington, D.C. for a series of thrilling contemporary jazz performances at the iconic Blues Alley. The shows will kick off on Friday, June 9th and continue through Sunday, June 11th, with two shows per night at 1073 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007.

Blues Alley, founded in 1965, is a jazz nightclub in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Musicians who have performed at Blues Alley include Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, John Abercrombie, Tony Bennett, Taj Mahal, Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Sarah Vaughan, Grover Washington Jr., Mary Wilson, Nancy Wilson and dozens more.

Dr. Alexander, whose jazz album ‘Love Notes,’ was released last year as his first recording featuring his vocals, will not only mesmerize the audience but also celebrate his recent Order of Jamaica award from the Jamaican government, recognizing his significant contributions to Caribbean American and Jamaican music.

The showtimes for the Blues Alley performances are scheduled at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST, respectively, from June 9th to June 11th. Tickets priced at US$42 can be reserved now by selecting the desired date and time on the Blues Alley website at https://www.bluesalley.com/events.

Reflecting on the upcoming performances, Dr. Alexander, the Caribbean musical genius, shared: “At this special time my desire is to also pay musical tribute to a man with whom I enjoyed a wonderful friendship, fellow Jamaican, Harry Belafonte.” He also expressed his excitement to bring his timeless jazz artistry to the stage once again in the nation’s capital.

After almost six decades since his move from Kingston, Jamaica to the United States, Alexander remains an iconic figure in American jazz, delighting audiences worldwide with his vibrant personality and soulful message. Renowned for his endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, and sophisticated voicings, his performances encompass a repertoire that spans jazz, blues, gospel, calypso, reggae, and the American songbook.

With over 75 recorded albums and being recognized as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Monty Alexander received the Jamaican government’s esteemed Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2000 and the national honor of the Order of Jamaica in 2022 for his exceptional contributions to Jamaican music and his global interpretations of the jazz genre. Furthermore, he was bestowed with an honorary doctorate (DLitt) from the University of The West Indies.

Monty Alexander’s virtuosic piano skills and unique blend of jazz and Caribbean musical influences continue to captivate global audiences. His performances are characterized by infectious energy, soulful improvisation, and an innate sense of groove. Whether interpreting jazz standards, reimagining popular tunes, or showcasing his own compositions, Alexander’s expressive playing leaves an indelible mark on listeners.

In addition to his musical achievements, Monty Alexander proudly represents Jamaican culture worldwide, incorporating the spirit and vibrancy of his homeland into his performances. As an esteemed figure in the jazz world, his music transcends borders and connects people, leaving a lasting impact on all who have the pleasure of experiencing his remarkable talent.

As he approaches his 80th birthday, the jazz maestro continues to tour the world, delighting audiences with his vibrant personality and soulful messages. His latest project, “The Monty Alexander Movie,” a documentary showcasing his life and music, is currently in production in Jamaica, the U.S., and Europe, directed by Academy Award© winning cinematographer Jefferson Miller and veteran filmmaker Arthur Gorson.

For more, visit  him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performances on Twitter at @montyHKE.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please see pic for use with this article here:

Dr. Monty Alexander, C.D., O.J. (Hollis King Image)

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia J. Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

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Award Winning Jamaican Jazz Maestro Gets Ready For Busy Round Of Caribbean American Heritage Month Performances

Award-winning Jamaican Jazz Maestro Monty Alexander  (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

Award-winning Jamaican Jazz Maestro Monty Alexander (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. June 7, 2018: Over five decades of performances and more than 70 CDs later, award-winning Jamaican jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, is still thrilling jazz fans and introducing newbies to the genre with style. And this June, he is getting ready to do it all over again, as he gears up for a busy National Caribbean American Heritage Month in the United States.

The man, who singer extraordinaire, Tony Bennett, has declared put on one of the “best jazz shows” he has ever seen, is getting ready to play venues across the US as well as in Canada this June.

His month will kick off in Phoenix, Arizona on June 21st as the man considered to be one of the top five jazz pianists ever, will take his rhythmic, emotionally charged and virtuosic style of playing to Phoenix, Arizona’s Musical Instrument Museum, (MIM), at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Show time is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $38.50–$48.50 and can be obtained here.

The Museum is the largest of its type in the world with a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments and associated objects includes examples from nearly 200 countries and territories. Alexander will join a long list of stellar artists who have performed at MIM, including jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, Grammy-award winner George Benson, Motown’s Martha Reeves, Lyle Lovett, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and Ronnie Spector.

Then its off to the West Coast for a two-night LA performance at Catalina’s Jazz Club at 6725 W. Sunset Blvd. from June 22nd to the 23rd. Showtime will be 8:30 p.m. nightly and tickets are priced from $30 for the Friday night show and can be bought here while Saturday night’s performance will cost $5 more and can be secured here.

New York Performances

Alexander will celebrate jazz and Caribbean American Heritage Month in New York City with back-to-back shows from June 24 – 26th at the popular NYC Jazz haunt, Blue Note, at 131 West 3rd Street in Manhattan. Show time nightly will be 8 p.m. and this special series of performance will be presented under the theme: “Love Notes: Jamaica To Jazz,” paying tribute to the maestro’s homeland, which he left behind 55 years ago but still holds in his heart and honors with every performance.

Tickets start at $20 for a bar seat and $35 for a table reservation and can be obtained here.

Canada
The Jamaican and American classic will wrap up the month in Canada as he takes his unique brand of jazz to the groovy Montreal International Jazz Festival at Monument-National, 1182 St. Laurent Blvd. from 8 p.m. Tickets are $51.75 and can be secured here.

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5 and 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 of today.

Alexander began playing in local Kingston clubs at 14, when he also made his first recordings, some as leader of a group called Monty and the Cyclones, and others as a sideman for such legendary producers as Ken Khouri (Federal Records), Duke Reid (Treasure Isle), and Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One.

These early sessions for Federal, which Alexander describes as “not calypso music, but the beginning of Ska,” included such subsequently famous talents as trombonist Don Drummond, tenor saxophonist Roland Alphonso and guitarist Ernest Ranglin.

Alexander is most widely known as an upper echelon master of the swinging piano trio function, as he has demonstrated with several top-shelf groups, including iconic units with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and with the legendary bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis.

He also performs frequently with Harlem-Kingston Express, a double trio in which he coalesces his love for hard-swinging jazz with musical flavors that reflect his Jamaican heritage, shifting between an acoustic trio and master Jamaican practitioners of electric bass and drums. He debuted the project at Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2009 and documented it both on the Grammy-nominated 2011 CD, Harlem-Kingston Express: LIVE, and its 2014 Soultrain Award nominated follow-up, Harlem Kingston Express 2: The River Rolls On (Motéma).

For more on the Monty Alexander and his brand of jazz, visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

Media Contact:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Click Here for More Information »

Legendary Piano Master Monty Alexander To Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month At Dizzy’s Jazz Club Coca Cola

Legendary piano master and Jamaica's Commander Of Distinction, Monty Alexander

Legendary piano master and Jamaica's Commander Of Distinction, Monty Alexander. CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 1, 2016: Legendary piano master and Jamaica's Commander Of Distinction, Monty Alexander, along with the magnificent and expanded version of the Harlem Kingston Express (HKE) band, will lead a celebration of National Caribbean American Heritage Month from tonight, June 1st at a premier New York City jazz location.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 1, 2016: Legendary piano master and Jamaica’s Commander Of Distinction, Monty Alexander, along with the magnificent and expanded version of the Harlem Kingston Express (HKE) band, will lead a celebration of National Caribbean American Heritage Month from tonight, June 1st at a premier New York City jazz location.

Alexander and the HKE band will return to Dizzy’s Jazz Club Coca Cola @ Jazz at Lincoln Center from tonight, Wednesday, June 1st through Sunday, June 5th in what is being billed as an energetic show that will blend the musical genre of classical jazz and the rhythms of the Caribbean seamlessly.

The Jamaican-born musician, whose performances the Wall Street Journal describes as ‘an outrageously good time,’ “will be telling stories of his own and Jamaica’s musical history, with special guests throughout the week.”

Alexander will be joined by top musicians and guests throughout the week including:

Hassan Shakur – the acoustic bassist who learned to play bass at age four through the guidance of his father, pianist Gerald Wiggins, Sr. and still plays for the Duke Ellington Orchestra which the joined at age 18.

Dan Wilson – the jazz guitarist who has toured with three-time Grammy nominated jazz organ legend, Joey DeFrancesco and released his debut album, ‘To Whom It May Concern’ in 2012.

Obed Calvaire – the Haitian-roots drummer who has performed and recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Seal, Eddie Palmeri, Vanessa Williams and Mary J. Bilge among others.

Andrae Murchison – one of the most versatile and talented trombonist of his generation who has performed on The Letterman Show and at numerous festivals, concert halls, and venues worldwide.

Clark Gayton – a composer, trombone and tuba player and band leader who has played with some of the finest jazz musicians in the world, such as Charles Tolliver, Lionel Hampton, McCoy Tyner, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, Ted Nash and Odeon, Ben Allison and Medicine Wheel, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra Nancy Wilson, and Ray Charles and who is also the founder of the Ritual, Ltd. label and Lautir Publishing.

Popular Jamaican drummer and percussionist Karl Wright

Electric bass player Joshua Thomas

Electric keyboard player Earl Appleton

Award-winning Guitarist Andy Bassford

Wendel Ferraro – the Montego-Bay, Jamaica born jazz singer who also goes by the name. ‘Jr. Jazz,’ and singer of ‘Love Is Waiting There,’ which was heavily promoted through black music video channels and who recently released recordings with Ikronik, now available on iTunes.

And Duane Stephenson –  the Kingston-born Jamaican reggae singer whose album ‘From August Town,’ released in 2007, was included in Billboard’s “Six Essential Albums Heralding Roots Rock’s Resurgence and whose song “Rasta For I” became a favorite. Stephenson, whose third album ‘Dangerously Roots: Journey from August Town,’ was released in September 2014, will perform on June 4th and 5th.

Show times nightly at Dizzy’s Jazz Club Coca Cola  are 7:30 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. EST. To make reservations log on here or directly to http://www.jazz.org/dizzys/events/168391/monty_alexander/ or reserve by phone

at: 212-258-9595.

Born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, Alexander was playing Christmas carols by ear at 4, entertaining neighbors and relatives by 5 and taking his first piano lessons at 6. Fifty-five years after he moved to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, home town pianist Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects and delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message.

2016 will mark the seventh edition of the namesake ‘Monty Alexander Jazz Festival’ in Easton, Maryland, for which he has served as Artistic Director and perennial performer every Labor Day weekend since 2010.

Alexander’s 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.”

With more than 70 recordings under his belt, Alexander has performed and recorded with artists from every corner of the musical universe and entertainment world: Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, and many more.

In August 2000, the Jamaican government designated Alexander Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador. In 2015, the great modern pianist Donald Vega released With Respect To Monty, which included his interpretations of seven Alexander compositions.

For more on the Caribbean’s greatest jazz pianist and his music visit him on YouTube or at montyalexander.com. You can also like him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or keep up to date on his performance on Twitter at @montyHKE.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616 (phone)

[email protected](email)

Click Here for More Information »

Investments Unite China, U.S. & The Caribbean In Caribbean American Heritage Month

Anthony Eterno, U.S. State Department, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Western Hemisphere and Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs of the Consulate General of China in New York are among the ICN 2013 speakers.

Anthony Eterno, U.S. State Department, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Western Hemisphere and Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs of the Consulate General of China in New York are among the ICN 2013 speakers.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 31, 2013: Investment in the Caribbean region is bringing together a unique coalition for Caribbean American Heritage Month this June, as the United States, China and the Caribbean unite for Invest Caribbean Now 2013.

The sold out Forum on June 5th at the Radisson Martinique Hotel in New York City, comes on the heels of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s Caribbean trip on May 28th for the signing of the United States – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, (TIFA) and the first visit to Trinidad & Tobago by the Chinese President Xi Jinping, which will take place from May 31 to June 2.

Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs at the Consulate of China in New York will headline a panel on China’s growing interests in the Caribbean. Other panelists will include Jianxin Lin, chairman of the American Chinese Commerce Development Association, (ACCDA); and Li Li, managing director of the Chinese American Business Development Center, (CABDC). The Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA) will present the panel, which will be supported by ACCDA and the CABDC and moderated by Martin Mohabeer, managing director of Spackman Group, a Hong-Kong based venture capital firm.

As well, Anthony Eterno, of the Office of Caribbean Affairs in the Western Hemisphere Division in the U.S. State Department, will discuss key issues regarding American investment in the Caribbean Additionally, US-based; Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd will discuss its investments in the Caribbean region before an audience that will include over a dozen Caribbean premiers and ministers of government.

In 2012, U.S. imports from Caribbean countries under the Caribbean Basin Initiative totalled more than $11 billion, representing a 178 percent increase over the past decade. U.S. exports equalled nearly $12 billion, representing a 133 percent increase over the past decade.

In 2011, China announced it would lend $6.3 billion to Caribbean governments, adding considerably to the hundreds of millions of dollars in loans, grants and other forms of economic assistance it has already channelled in the past decade.

Invest Caribbean Now is organized annually by The Caribbean Tourism Organization and digital media solutions company, Hard Beat Communications, during Caribbean Week in New York.

ICN 2013 is sponsored by marquee sponsor Avalon Partners; gold sponsors, The Turks & Caicos Islands Investment Agency and Royal Caribbean Cruise, Ltd; bronze sponsor, One Caribbean Television and supporting sponsors, The Chinese American Business Development Center, the American Chinese Commerce Development Association and No-Jet-Lag.

Speakers and panellists confirmed for ICN 2013 are:

Anthony Eterno, U.S. State Department, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Western Hemisphere;

Dr. Rufus Ewing, Premier Turks & Caicos Islands, (TCI);

Washington Misick, Finance Minister, Turks & Caicos Islands;

Beverly Nicholson-Doty, Chairman, Caribbean Tourism Organization, (CTO) and Commissioner Tourism, USVI;

Alan Lowenstein, managing director, Wedgewood Investment Group;

E. Jay Saunders, CEO, Digicel TCI;

Heather Floissac, managing director, Belle Vue Properties, Ltd;

Brian Lilly, CEO, Lilly Broadcasting and One Caribbean Television;

Adam Goldstein, president, Royal Caribbean International;

Miguel Reyna, director, port business development and asset management, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.;

Dr. Grace Lappin, managing director, Avalon Partners;

Xiaoguang Liu, consul in charge of economic & commercial affairs of the Consulate General of China in New York;

Jianxin Lin, chairman of the American Chinese Commerce Development Association, (ACCDA);

Li Li, managing director of the Chinese American Business Development Center, (CABDC);

Ganesh Ramanathan, creative director, Hard Beat Communications;

Felicia Persaud, CMO, Hard Beat Communications.

Other government attendees will include:

Premier Dr. Orlando Smith of the British Virgin Islands;

John Percy de Jongh, Jr,   Governor, US Virgin Islands;

Chief Minister Hubert Hughes of Anguilla;

Senator Ricky Skerritt, Minister Tourism & International Transport, International Trade, Industry, Commerce & Consumer Affairs, St. Kitts;

Lorne Theophilus, Minister Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries, St. Lucia;

Stephen Cadiz, Minister Tourism, Trinidad & Tobago;

Assemblyman Tracy Davidson-Celestine, Deputy Chief Secretary and Secretary, Division of Tourism and Transportation of Tobago;

Mark Brantley, Minister Tourism, Nevis;

Nicolaas Sneek, Commissioner St. Eustatius;

John Maginley, tourism minister of Antigua & Barbuda;

Damion Crawford, minister of state, Jamaica;

Maryse Noel of Haiti

and Hugh Riley, secretary general, Caribbean Tourism Organization, (CTO).

Private sector representatives will include senior executives from JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Nomura, CIBC World Capital, Ibis Investments, Aegis Capital, Portfolio Credit Management Limited, DHL, Marriott International, Spackman Capital, Royal Caribbean Cruise, Ltd., One Caribbean Television, Avalon Partners, Digicel, TCI, Scotiabank TCI and Sun Realty among others.

2013 media partners include the PR Newswire, CaribPR Wire, News Americas Now, WINN FM of St. Kitts, South Florida Caribbean, Caribseek, Antigua Tribune, Bahamas Spectator, Barbados Gazette, British Caribbean News, Caribbean ET Roundup, Caribbean Financials, Cuba Chronicle, Dominica Gazette, Dominican Republic Post, Dutch Caribbean News, French Caribbean News, Grenada Chronicle, Guyana Inquirer, Haiti Gazette, Jamaica Inquirer, Puerto Rico Tribune, St. Kitts Gazette, St. Lucia Chronicle, St. Vincent Tribune, Trinidad Tribune, the Bajan Reporter, The Bahamas Weekly and Bahamas Local.

For more, log on to InvestCaribbeanNow.com.

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