CaribPR Wire

Monty Alexander & Friends will perform from February 12-13, 2016 at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center. (Joe Martinez Image)

CaribPR Wire, New York, NY – February 1, 2016 – At 17 years old, a serendipitous encounter with Frank Sinatra and his long-time pal Jilly Rizzo changed the trajectory of Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander’s career forever: Alexander would soon become the house pianist for the famed Jilly’s club in New York City and develop a unique relationship with its most famous patron.

Sinatra’s centennial elicits fond memories of Alexander’s time spent at the intimate hangout, and with the help of GRAMMY® Award-winning and DownBeat Critics Poll-dominating singer Kurt Elling, he will share stories and anecdotes from a treasured and rare perspective. A masterful pianist, Alexander’s career spans five decades and includes collaborations with some of the most important figures in jazz, like Milt Jackson, Miles Davis, and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as an illustrious recording career as a leader.

National touring artist Elling, referred to by The Guardian as, “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers,” will provide his vocal interpretation of the classic tunes, of which he is no stranger to. Joining the duo will be bassist Hassan Shakur, guitarist Frank Vignola, hand drummer Robert Thomas Jr., and drummer Dennis Mackrel. This early, nurturing period in which the young pianist and an iconic hero spontaneously mused on saloon songs up into the wee hours of the night is a Valentine’s weekend treat sure to satisfy both nostalgic and contemporary tastes.

Sinatra songs featured in the concert will include “Young at Heart,” “I’ve Got You Under my Skin,” “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning,” “Luck, Be a Lady Tonight,” “The Summer Wind” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Tickets to Monty Alexander & Friends can be purchased through at jazz.org, 24 hours a day, or via CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60^th Street, ground floor. Box Office hours: Monday–Saturday from 10am to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) and Sunday from noon to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain).

Hot Seats, $10 seats for select shows in Rose Theater, are available for purchase to the general public on the Wednesday prior to each performance. Subject to availability. Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Hot Seats Ticket Discount Program is supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Please visit jazz.org for more information.

Press Inquiries:
Danielle Bias
Assistant Director of Public Relations
Jazz at Lincoln Center
[email protected]
212-258-9807

Jamaican-Born Jazz Great, Monty Alexander.

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.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. June 16, 2010: Renowned Jamaican jazz pianist and Jamaica’s acclaimed Commander of Distinction, Monty Alexander, is set to turn the heat up this summer in New York City with a five-day return to Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Alexander, who has the distinction of being named one of the greatest piano players in Jazz history, is set to bring his `Summer Celebration` to Dizzy’s Jazz Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center from Tuesday July 20^th to Sunday, July 25^th. 

The Kingston-born musician says that with his ensemble he looks forward to “bringing uplifting and positive Jamaican rhythms and vibrations in our current challenging times” to Lincoln Center next month and hopes that all jazz fans and Jamaicans will attend and experience his music in the incredible atmosphere at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola.

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, Robbie Shakespeare and on the “Concrete Jungle, The Music of Bob Marley collection,” will perform two shows per night, at 7:30 and 9:30 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 latest release on Chesky is Calypso Blues, a tribute to his hero Nat Cole.

Alexander’s Jazz at Lincoln Center performance comes on the heels of performances in Aspen, the UK and France, where he performed at several festivals including Jazz a Juan-les-Pins, the Vienne Jazz Festival, the Wigan Jazz Festival and Jazz Aspen.

Tickets for Monty Alexander’s Jazz at Lincoln Center show are $30 and $35 and $15 for students with valid identification. Fans can book now at http://www.opentable.com/dizzys-club-coca-cola-reservations-new-york?rid=3683

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