CaribPR Wire

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon July 21, 2014: With his new album riding high on the Jazz radio charts, Grammy-nominated international jazz pianist, Monty Alexander, will roll into The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle, Washington aboard the Harlem-Kingston Express this July 24th for a three-night performance.

The Jamaican-born musical virtuoso and his band will perform through July 27^th and will be treating fans to some of the latest tracks from his new album, ‘Harlem-Kingston Express Vol. 2: The River Rolls On,’ which was released on April 8^th on the Motéma Music label and has remained for seven weeks at number one the Jazz radio charts.

“We are bringing my birthday party to Seattle,” commented Alexander who turned 70 in June. “The band and I look forward to treating fans to some of the latest from the new album such as “Love Notes,” with my friends George Benson, Ramsey Lewis and Joe Sample; a live version of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” recorded live in 2005 with vocalist Wendel Ferraro; previously unreleased live recordings of the Jamaican folk song “Linstead Market;” “Regulator (Reggae-Later),” as well as  a mix of interpretations including “People Make the World Go Round,” “What’s Going On” (“Wa’a Gwan”) and Jimmy Cliff’s reggae landmark “The Harder They Come.”

Alexander will be joined for the Seattle performance by band members Hassan Shakur (acoustic bass), Dennis Mackrel (drums), Andy Bassford (guitar), Joshua Thomas (electric bass) and Karl Wright (drums/percussion).

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. on July 24^th through 26^th for two nightly performances – at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., respectively.  On Sunday July 27^th, Alexander and the Harlem-Kingston Express will only perform at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $26.50 per performance. To reserve your seat today, log on here or to http://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=1403

Seattle’s Jazz Alley is a fixture of the Seattle live music and dining scene, family-owned and operated since 1979.

ALEXANDER’S 2014 TOUR SCHEDULE

August 1 – Telluride, CO, Telluride Jazz Festival w/ Harlem Kingston Express

August 2-3 – Denver, CO, Dazzle Jazz w/ Monty Alexander

August 7 – Vail, CO, Vail Jazz Festival w/ Monty Alexander Trio

August 8-9 – Aspen, CO, Aspen JazzSnowman w/ Harlem Kingston Express

August 10 – San Jose, CA, San Jose Jazz Festival w/ Harlem Kingston Express

August 30 – Easton, MD, 6th Annual Monty Alexander Jazz Festival

September 13 – Salt Lake City, UT, Capitol Theatre w/ Harlem Kingston Express

November 8 – Cape May, NJ, Jazz Festival w/ Harlem Kingston Express

ABOUT MONTY ALEXANDER

In a career spanning five decades and with 70 recordings under his belt, Alexander has built a reputation that bridged the worlds of American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica to create his own musical brand.

His collaborations span multiple genres, styles, and generations and he has performed globally with renowned artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Ray Brown, Natalie Cole and Tony Bennett among numerous others.

In August 2000 the Jamaican government awarded Alexander the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador. And in 2012, ‘Harlem Kingston Express: Live!,’ was singled out by both the recording industry and fans and received a Grammy award nomination.

In the summer of 2012, Alexander was also awarded the prestigious German Jazz Trophy, “A Life for Jazz” while in November of the same year, he received the Caribbean American Heritage Luminary Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, D.C.

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)

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CaribPR, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Dec. 23, 2013:  On the heels of his London Jazz Festival performance, Grammy-nominated international jazz pianist, the legendary Jamaican-born Monty Alexander, will catch a good case of the “blues” beginning next week and lasting into January 2014.

Alexander, who is gearing up for the release of his “Harlem Kingston Express 2,” next year, will begin the “blue-bration” with his annual holiday performance at the legendary Blues Alley in Washington, D.C., from December 27th through the 31st.

Blues Alley has earned rave reviews globally for showcasing internationally renowned concert hall artists in a small intimate setting and for the past two years, Alexander has been the act booked to ring in the New Year. Tickets for this show are in demand so book early.

Show times nightly will be 8 and 10 p.m.  For a full schedule of Alexander’s performance and to book advance tickets log on to http://www.bluesalley.com/events.cfm.

THE BLUE NOTE

Alexander will continue his musical celebration with a historic performance in January 2014 at New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club, under the theme, “A History of Jamaican Music – Reggae, Ska, Rocksteady and Jazz.”

“This show will be one of the most incredible that I have ever been a part of,” commented Jamaica’s acclaimed Piano Man. “It will truly be called a musical presentation of the history of reggae and Jamaican music!”

The New York performance at the legendary jazz club will run from January 13^th for one night only before returning for six consecutive nights, from January 21^st with vocalist, Caterina Zapponi & the Pizzarellis on guitars and bass and John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton from the 22^nd to the 24th . All of the artists will be backed by Alexander’s Grammy-nominated band, the Harlem-Kingston Express.

HISTORY OF REGGAE

“A History Of Reggae,” will take the show to higher heights on January 25^th and 26th and will not only feature Jamaica’s Commander of Distinction and ‘Luminary Award’ 2012 recipient, Alexander, but Ernest Ranglin, Jamaica’s Master of the Guitar and the pioneer and innovator of reggae and Jamaican music; and the new Prince of Reggae and Jamaica’s most buzzed about reggae act, Chronixx.

Ranglin played guitar on many early ska recordings in Jamaica and helped create the rhythmic guitar style that defined the music form. He has worked with Jimmy Cliff, The Skatalites and the late great Robert Nesta Marley and is a known for a chordal and rhythmic approach that blends jazz, mento and reggae with percussive guitar solos incorporating rhythm ‘n’ blues and jazz inflections. In 2008 Ranglin was inducted into the Jamaican Music Hall of Fame by the Jamaica Association of Vintage Artistes and Affiliates (JAVAA).

Chronixx, born Jamar McNaughton, 21, has been lauded recently as reggae’s next superstar. The first single from his “Dread and Terrible” EP, “Here Comes Trouble” recently topped the BBC’s digital urban station Radio 1Xtra chart, is in rotation on Sirius XM’s reggae channel.

Show times on January 13^th and January 21-26^th at the Blue Note will be 8 and 10:30 p.m. For more and to make reservation, log on to http://www.bluenote.net/newyork/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=11634

ABOUT MONTY ALEXANDER

In a career spanning five decades, pianist Monty Alexander has built a reputation exploring and bridging the worlds of American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica, finding in each a sincere spirit of musical expression. In the process, he 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, Ernest Ranglin, Barbara Hendricks, Bill Cosby, Bobby McFerrin, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare, among others.

Alexander’s collaborations span multiple genres, styles, and generations. His projects have been as varied as assisting Natalie Cole in her tribute album to her father, Nat “King” Cole in 1991 (the resulting album, Unforgettable, won seven Grammy awards), performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” under the direction of Bobby McFerrin at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and recording the piano track for the film score of Clint Eastwood’s Bird, a movie about the life of jazz titan Charlie Parker.

In August 2000, the Jamaican government awarded Alexander the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador. Two collections were released in 2011 that capture the excitement of Monty Alexander’s live performances around the world: Uplift, a trio album on JLP Records, and Harlem-Kingston Express on Motema Music.

‘Harlem Kingston Express: Live!,’ was singled out by both the recording industry and fans and received a Grammy award nomination in 2012.

In the summer of 2012, Alexander was awarded the prestigious German Jazz Trophy, “A Life for Jazz” and in November 2012 he received the Caribbean American Heritage Luminary Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, D.C.

For more on the Caribbean’s greatest jazz pianist and his music visit www.montyalexander.com.

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CaribPR, NEW YORK, NY, Tues. Aug. 6, 2013:  Monty Alexander, Jamaica’s legendary, international jazz pianist, will celebrate the 51^st independence anniversary of his homeland with a return to Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York City from August 14-18, 2013.

Alexander and his Grammy-nominated Harlem-Kingston Express band,  will soar with his positive vibrations of ‘One Love and Upliftment several stories above the expansive vista of Central Park at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the Time Warner building, 10 Columbus Circle in New York City.

Show times each day are at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., respectively.

The musician, whose 50^th anniversary album, “Harlem-Kingston Express: Live!” was nominated for a Reggae Grammy and won rave reviews from The Wall Street Journal, The London Evening Standard and Jazz Times among dozens of other media houses, will return to his home state of New York from performances  in Seattle, WA.

Tickets for The Dizzy’s show are $40-45 and can be obtained by logging on here or to https://jalc.org/dizzys/events/event/av-136063#.UcSCc5wmwdo

“This is a celebration of my Jamaican roots and of Jamaica’s 51^st anniversary of independence and I look forward to seeing my Caribbean music fans in the house,” said Alexander. “My band and I will be celebrating the vibes of one love and positive upliftment.”

Jamaica’s Commander of Distinction and ‘Luminary Award’ 2012 recipient, will next head to Ozawa Hall in Lenox, Massachusetts for an August 25^th performance and celebrate Labor Day Weekend, August 29^th to September 1^st with the ‘Monty Alexander Jazz Festival’ in Easton, Maryland.

About Monty Alexander

In a career spanning five decades, pianist Monty Alexander has built a reputation exploring and bridging the worlds of American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica, finding in each a sincere spirit of musical expression. In the process, he 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, Ernest Ranglin, Barbara Hendricks, Bill Cosby, Bobby McFerrin, Sly Dunbar, and Robbie Shakespeare, among others.

Alexander’s collaborations span multiple genres, styles, and generations. His projects have been as varied as assisting Natalie Cole in her tribute album to her father, Nat “King” Cole in 1991 (the resulting album, Unforgettable, won seven Grammy awards), performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” under the direction of Bobby McFerrin at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, and recording the piano track for the film score of Clint Eastwood’s Bird, a movie about the life of jazz titan Charlie Parker.

In August 2000, the Jamaican government awarded Monty Alexander the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador. Two collections were released in 2011 that capture the excitement of Monty Alexander’s live performances around the world: Uplift, a trio album on JLP Records, and Harlem-Kingston Express on Motema Music.

Harlem Kinston Express: Live! was singled out by both the recording industry and fans and received a Grammy award nomination in 2012.

In the summer of 2012 Monty Alexander was awarded the prestigious German Jazz Trophy, “A Life for Jazz” and in November 2012 he received the Caribbean American Heritage Luminary Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, D.C. For more on the Caribbean’s greatest jazz pianist and his music visit www.montyalexander.com.

Click Here for More Information »