CaribPR Wire

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (PHOTO CREDIT: Joe Martinez/Jazz at Lincoln Center)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Tues.  Jan. 8, 2019: Jamaica’s world-renowned jazz maestro, Dr. Monty Alexander, is kicking off the New Year in fine style with a musical explosion in his adopted city of New York.

Dr. Alexander will open his New Year tour with a five-night performance at the Big Apple’s legendary jazz club, Birdland, from January 15^th -19^th.

The Grammy-nominated international musician will present the New York show under the theme: ‘Love Notes-Jamaica to Jazz.’ The performance is sure to take fans through a musical history that starts in his homeland and features calypso, reggae, mento and other island music and ends with traditional jazz from his Grammy-nominated album. As with his performances, fans are sure to get into the rhythm while jazz purists are certain to be baptized into true fans of the genre.

Tickets for the show at 315 West 44th St., New York, NY 10036 are US$30 to $40 and can be obtained here by selecting ‘Tickets’ on the performance night. Showtime on opening night, Jan. 15^th is 11 p.m. while performances for Jan. 16^th – 19^th will start at 8:30 p.m. nightly.

Alexander, CD, late last year received an honorary Doctorate of Letters of the University of the West Indies Mona Campus. Born Montgomery Bernard Alexander on D-Day in Kingston, Jamaica in 1944, the musical virtuoso has five decades of performances and over 70 CDs under his belt.  Alexander began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear. He is now 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.

Alexander 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.

At 74, he continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message.

For more on the Monty Alexander and his amazing 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]

Jamaican-Born Jazz Great, Monty Alexander. (Photo credit: A. Nahigian)

CaribPR, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. May 1, 2013: Birdland Jazz Club will be springing to life this May, as Grammy-nominated artist Monty Alexander and his Grammy-nominated band, The Harlem Kingston Express, returns with their foot-tapping, hip swinging Caribbean infused jazz.

The Jamaican-born, Caribbean-raised jazz great, who recently released his new album and entered his 51^st year as a musician, will play New York’s premier live music venue, Birdland, at 315 West 44th Street in New York City, from May 7^th to 11^th at 8:30 and 11 p.m. nightly.

The performance comes as Alexander’s new album release “Uplift 2” on the JLP label, sits at #4 on the Jazz charts. Tickets for Birdland are $30-40 and can be obtained by logging on here or to http://www.birdlandjazz.com/event/243141-monty-alexander-harlem-new-york/

“I look forward to having another opportunity to play with my ensemble, Harlem-Kingston Express, in one of the finest music venues in the world – Birdland – for my long time faithful friends, as well as new friends who may visit with us,” said Alexander. “I and my colleagues will be celebrating our One Love experience as well as the Joy of Life.”

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, is fresh from performances  at the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Boston’s legendary Scullers Jazz Club.

Jamaica’s Commander of Distinction and ‘Luminary Award’ 2012 recipient, will next head to the nature isle of Dominica for the first time, where he will headline the increasingly popular, Dominica Jazz ‘n Creole Festival on May 19^th at the Cabrits National Park.

Following his Dominica debut, Alexander, will again join his Harlem Kingston Express to bring his brand of jiving jazz, to Washington, D.C.’s popular Blues Alley from June 20th to 23^rd and Pittsburgh, PA on June 28^th at the South Park Band Shell.

He and his band will wrap up the first half of 2013 in Rochester, NY with a scintillating performance at the Rochester International Jazz Festival on June 29th. For more see http://www.rochesterjazz.com/artist_lineup/?artist_id=934.

Monty’s Other 2013 Performance Dates:

Dominica, W.I. – Dominica Jazz ‘n Creole Festival – May 19^th.

Washington, D.C. – Blues Alley – June 20^th to 23^rd.

Pittsburgh, PA – South Park Band Shell – June 28^th.

Rochester, NY – Rochester International Jazz Festival – June 29^th.

About Monty Alexander

Over his stellar career, Alexander, whose influence combines that of Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris and Nat “King” Cole, has performed with international stars including 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.

In fact, it was Sinatra and his best friend Jilly Rizzo who hired Alexander after he moved to the United States in 1961 at the age of 17.  And it was at Jilly’s famed New York City nightclub that this Jamaican teen caught the ears of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and Milt “Bags” Jackson.

Bags introduced him to the great bassist Ray Brown, and the rest as they say, is history, including Alexander’s 1976 Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival performance with drummer Jeff Hamilton and bassist John Clayton, which has become one of the most celebrated live recordings in contemporary jazz.

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

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Nov. 8, 2010: Renowned Jamaican-born jazz pianist, Monty Alexander, still remembers when he first saw the legendary Nat King Cole and  met Frank Sinatra. Cole’s musical impact on the younger Monty and his later musical experiences with Sinatra will come in to focus this month when Alexander reflects on both icons of America’s great songbook at a New York City show.

Alexander, Jamaica’s acclaimed Commander of Distinction, will present his “King Cole and Mr. S” reflections from November 23-25th at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club, 315 West 44th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. Show times for the three night shows will be at 8:30 and 11 p.m., respectively.

Accompanying Alexander will be his phenomenal group of Robert Thomas, Jr. on hand drums; Lorin Cohen on bass; Winard Harper on drums and Yotam Silberstein on guitar. The shows will be made even more special this fall season with the addition of a brilliant vocalist James De Frances, who is set to belt out favorites from both Cole and Sinatra to the accompaniment of Alexander and his ensemble.
Of course Alexander will also pay tribute to his roots by including some of his upbeat reggae-themed pieces for patrons attending the shows.

Alexander, who has the distinction of being named one of the greatest piano players in jazz, still remembers seeing Cole for the first time at age 12 at a theater in his native Jamaica, and being overtaken by the spirit of the singer and his music. 

It is that love, knowledge and dedication to the memory of Cole that would filter back to Cole’s daughter, Natalie, who invited him to assist her on the “Unforgettable” album.  The Sinatra connection was a lot more by chance. The largely self-taught pianist was playing in a Miami bar in his teens that was visited by Sinatra and his group of friends, including his right hand man, Jilly Rizzo. When Alexander ended his set he was approached by Rizzo and the legendary singer who invited him to play at the New York bistro, Jilly’s. Alexander moved to New York where he played on and off for several years, accompanying ‘Ole Blue Eyes’ on various occasions.

“The kid is a gas,” is how Sinatra, using the lingo at the time for “superb,” once described Alexander.

The Kingston-born musician has also performed with the likes of Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Ernest Ranglin, Barbara Hendricks, Bill Cosby, Bobby McFerrin, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare and on the “Concrete Jungle, The Music of Bob Marley collection,” over his five decade-long career.

He has recorded over 60 albums to date and is set to mark his 50th year in the music industry with a new album next year.  His 1976 Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival performance with drummer Jeff Hamilton and bassist John Clayton has become one of the most celebrated live recordings in contemporary jazz. Alexander’s most recent albums on the Telarc label include trio sessions, such as “Impressions in Blue,” and the live concert recording “Goin’ Yard.” His release on Chesky is “Calypso Blues” is a tribute to his hero Nat Cole.

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. 

Tickets for Alexander’s shows on Tuesday-Thursday, November 23-25 at Birdland are $30 and $40, respectively and can be purchased by logging on to http://www.birdlandjazz.com/ or by calling (212) 581-3080.

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

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 12, 2010: One of the fifty greatest jazz piano players of all time, renowned Jamaican jazz pianist and Jamaica’s acclaimed Commander of Distinction, Monty Alexander, is set to thrill fans of the musical genre at a top New York City night club this Women’s History Month.

The Kingston-born musician, fresh from a performance in his homeland at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, is set to perform at the popular Birdland Jazz Club at 315 West 44^th Street, between 8^th and 9^th Avenues in New York City from March 2 to 6, 2010.

Alexander, who has performed with the likes of  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 and on the `Concrete Jungle, The Music of Bob Marley collection,` will perform two shows per night, at 8:30 and 11 p.m., respectively.   

In a career spanning five decades, Alexander, a largely self-taught musician, has built a reputation for 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.

He has recorded over 60 albums to date.  His 1976 Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival performance with drummer Jeff Hamilton and bassist John Clayton has become one of the most celebrated live recordings in contemporary jazz. Alexander’s most recent albums on the Telarc label include trio sessions, such as Impressions in Blue, and the live concert recording Goin’ Yard.

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.  His current release on Chesky is Calypso Blues, a tribute to his hero Nat Cole.

Tickets for Monty Alexander’s Birdland Jazz Club show are $30 for side-seating and $40 for center seating. Get tickets online now at http://www.instantseats.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.venue&VenueID=68 by choosing the Monty Alexander show and your date of choice.

And for more on Jamaica’s greatest jazz pianist and his music, visit http://www.montyalexander.com/