CaribPR Wire

Dr. Monty Alexander, C.D., O.J. (Jean-Baptiste Millot Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, January 8, 2025: Celebrated Jamaican-born, Grammy-nominated jazz virtuoso, Hon. Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, O.J., is set to usher in 2025 in spectacular fashion with a historic, career retrospective and musical storytelling concert at Lincoln Center in New York City on January 24^th and 25^th.

Celebrating his remarkable 80th year of life and musical legacy, the legendary musician will take center stage for a landmark two-night concert series titled “A Living History: Jamaica to Jazz” at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60^th St., in New York, NY, at 7:30 each evening.

“This will be a journey through the living history of Jamaican and American music and life – from the late ’40s to the present,” said the artist, who fondly refers to himself simply as ‘Monty,’ and often jokes about graduating from the “street corner.”

“It will be living history long before Bob Marley came on the scene… a story of Jamaican music and life, intertwined with American music and culture, told through the lens of one man – someone some now call ‘a living legend,’” added Alexander, an alumnus of Jamaica College, who has witnessed and lived through countless musical and social experiences, including the pre-civil rights era in the United States.

From hearing and then performing Christmas carols on the piano without any formal training to the awe of his mother at age 4, to playing at Studio One by age 14, Alexander’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. After migrating to Miami, Florida with his family, he honed his craft in both white and non-white clubs and hotels, eventually meeting legends like Harry Belafonte and Frank Sinatra. This led to his move to New York City, where he crossed paths with icons such as the great Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Today, he has established himself as a global jazz phenomenon, performing worldwide across the US, Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, South America, and Asia, with notable appearances in Japan and South Korea.

“I seek modesty and humility, but I find myself now being called a living legend in the fact that many of the great musicians I played with have now passed. I, however, prefer not to think that way but look forward to sharing this 8-decade history with the people. It is a can’t miss event and will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Alexander.

More than 20 exceptional artists who have shared the stage and studio with Alexander throughout his illustrious career will join this musical celebration that will feature mento, ska, calypso, reggae, jazz, blues, gospel and the American songbook. He will be joined by an internationally acclaimed lineup of musicians, including Quentin Baxter, drums; T.K. Blue, alto saxophone; Jason Brown, drums; James Cammack, bass; Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophone; Dominick Farinacci, trumpet; Andrae Murchison, trombone; Randy Napoleon, guitar; Steve Nelson, vibraphone; Victor Provost, steel drums; Luke Sellick, bass; Hassan Shakur, bass; Herlin Riley, drums; Robert Thomas Jr., hand drums; Courtney Panton, percussion; Justin Poindexter, guitar; Joshua Thomas, guitar; Jr. Wedderburn, percussion; Karl Wright, drums and percussion.

Deeply rooted in his Jamaican heritage, Alexander infuses the spirit of his homeland into every performance, using his music as a bridge between cultures, uniting audiences from all backgrounds and leaving a lasting legacy of joy and connection. Each performance or vignette on January 24^th and 25^th will honor the diverse influences that have shaped his distinctive style, reflected in his extensive catalog of over 75 albums.

As he humbly states, quoting Maya Angelou: “‘If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.’”

Ticket Information

For tickets to Alexander’s can’t miss show, “A Living History – From Jamaica to Jazz,” visit the official event page here or jazz.org/monty 24 hours a day or through CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fans can also buy tickets in person at the box office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, Ground Floor. A $5.00 Jazz at Lincoln Center Facility Fee applies to all ticket purchases, except for $10 Hot Seats. A $7 handling fee also applies when purchasing tickets from CenterCharge or when purchasing tickets online via jazz.org.

Box Office hours: Tuesday-Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. (or 30 minutes past curtain). On Wednesdays, prior to a Rose theater concert, the Box Office will open at 10 a.m.

More On Monty

Stay connected with Alexander’s latest updates by following him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander, on Twitter at  @_MontyAlexander and on Instagram at monty.alexander You can also explore his music on his YouTube channel or his official website, montyalexander.com.

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Friday May 3, 2024: Esteemed Jamaican-born jazz legend, Grammy-nominated, Dr. Monty Alexander, C.D., O.J., is set to bring the vibrant spirit of Jamaica’s music to the island of Honolulu just weeks before his 80th birthday, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings, known as D-Day.

Following the release of his latest musical masterpiece, the album ‘D-Day,’ on March 29th under the prestigious French record label PeeWee, Alexander will grace the stage at prestigious Blue Note Hawaii. The venue, located inside the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort at 2335 Kalakaua Ave., is renowned as Hawaii’s premier 326-seat live music destination.

The performance, scheduled for May 4th, promises an electrifying celebration of the album’s release ahead of Alexander’s milestone birthday. Joined by bassist Luke Sellick and drummer Jason Brown, two shows are scheduled at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

“I am very happy to celebrate my upcoming 80th in Hawaii at the Blue Note, where I will not only play selections from my brand new release, D-Day, but also play selections that reflect my beloved Jamaica where I was born, and where I have fond memories of participating in many recording sessions at Studio 1, as a music pioneer at the dawn of Ska when I was still a teenager,” commented Alexander. “Hope to see as many of my fans as possible – and of course, especially those who love the music of Jamaica.”

Tickets for the event are priced at $35-45, offering an unparalleled opportunity to experience the magic of Alexander’s legendary jazz expertise.

Fans can get tickets here by logging on now to https://www.bluenotejazz.com/hawaii/shows/?eid=13603273

MONTY’S OTHER UPCOMING LIVE PERFORMANCES & BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SHOWS

The release of ‘D-Day,’ will be accompanied by other tour dates to also mark Alexander’s birthday worldwide. They will include:

• The Puerto Rico Jazz Festival in San Juan on May 17^th.
• The Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland from May 21^st to May 26^th.
• Birdland, New York City from May 28^th to June 1^st for his D-Day and 80^th birthday celebration.
• Jazz Alley, Seattle from June 6-9^th.
• The San Francisco Jazz Festival on June 11^th.
• Blue’s Alley, Washington, D.C. from June 14-16^th.
• Ronnie Scott’s London from June 24-28^th.
• New Morning, Domaine de Fontblanche in France on July 3^rd and July 6^th, respectively; and.
• Victoria Hall, Switzerland on Nov. 25^th.

See all performances and book advance tickets now at https://bnds.us/b8c6pc.

D’DAY’S FULL TRACK

The full track of the new album is as follows:

01 – Intro [0:16]

02 – I’ll Never Smile Again (R. Lowe) [04:18]

03 – Aggression (M. Alexander) [06:03]

04 – Oh Why (M. Alexander) [06:37]

05 – Restoration (M. Alexander) [06:34]

06 – June 6 (M. Alexander) [06:14]

07 – River of Peace (M. Alexander) [05:49]

08 – Smile (C. Chaplin) [06:30]

09 – V.E. Swing (M. Alexander) [04:22]

10 – You Can See (M. Alexander) [05:33]

11 – D-Day Voices (M. Alexander/L. Alexander) [04:28]

12 – Day-O (Trad.) [02:52

ABOUT ALEXANDER

Renowned for his extensive discography and hailed as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Alexander’s contributions to music have earned him prestigious honors, including the Commander in the Order of Distinction and the Order of Jamaica. His unwavering passion for music, coupled with his Jamaican and Caribbean heritage, continues to inspire audiences worldwide.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 6, 1944, Alexander’s musical journey began at an early age. By 16, he was already proficient in various musical genres, including cha-cha, merengue, calypso, reggae, and ska. Moving to the United States at 17, he quickly gained recognition, accompanying jazz legends like Frank Sinatra, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. Today, Alexander remains an iconic figure in American jazz, blues, and gospel, infusing his music with the vibrant rhythms of his Jamaican and Caribbean heritage.

For more information, visit his YouTube channel or his official website at https://montyalexander.com/. You can also follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/officialmontyalexander or stay updated on his performances through his Twitter handle, @montyHKE.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An image for use with this release is available HERE

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mar. 4, 2022: The year was 1972 when Jamaica’s international musician, Monty Alexander, made his debut to rave reviews at the then 7-year-old Blues Alley jazz club in Washington, D.C. Next week, he returns for his 50^th annual performance to mark his five-decade sojourn at the now famous club and a D.C. institution.

The world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Alexander, CD, is kicking off his 50^th anniversary performance at Blues Alley for the first time since the pandemic began, on Thursday, March 10^th.

Performances will continue through to Sunday, March 13^th with two shows per night at 1073 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20007.

Dr. Alexander, whose jazz album ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations,’ a tribute to his roots, reigned at number one on US Jazz and NACC radio for weeks after its release, is truly excited to perform live again, and especially to mark his 5-decade performance in the nation’s capital.

Show times are 8:00 p.m. and 10 p.m. between March 10^th and 13th. Tickets are US$45 and US$50 and fans can reserve now by selecting the date and time here or at https://www.bluesalley.com/events and checking out.

In commenting on the upcoming performance, the Caribbean musical genius said: “It’s very hard to comprehend that 50 years later both Blues Alley and I are still rolling along, swinging and grooving, and bringing upliftment to the world.

ABOUT MONTY

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 78, the jazz maestro continues to tour the world despite the pandemic, with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful messages as he has done on ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations.’

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.

ABOUT BLUES ALLEY

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.

In 1975, during afternoons when the club was closed, Earl Hines spent a week in Blues Alley making an hour-long film for British television, featuring Frank Hart, Blue’s Alley’s “Clean-Up Man.” See more at bluesalley.com/.

PHOTO: Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. Jan. 6, 2020: Jamaica’s world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, is kicking off his exciting new season of performances this decade in sunny South Florida.

Dr. Alexander, whose new jazz album ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations,’ was number 1 spot on US Jazz and NACC radio weeks after its release as a tribute to his roots, will begin the New Year on January 18, 2020 at Bailey Hall at Broward College, 3501 Davie Road, Building 4, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314.

Show time is 8:00 p.m. Tickets are US$50, $45, $40 and $10 students under 25 with valid I.D. Get tickets here.

Dr. Alexander returns to Bailey Hall by popular demand and will perform along with JJ Shakur and Jason Brown. The Caribbean musical genius says he is excited to return to South Florida, home to many Caribbean immigrants, and looks forward to seeing many in the audience.

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 75, the jazz maestro continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful messages as he has done on ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations.’

For a sample from Dr. Alexander’s latest album or to hear the backstory, 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.

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Sat.. Dec. 14, 2019: Fresh on the heels of the stellar success of his ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations,’ Jamaica’s world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, is bringing a Jamaican Christmas early to New York City.

Dr. Alexander, whose new jazz album was number 1 spot on US Jazz and NACC radio weeks after its release as a tribute to his roots, returns to his Jamaican immigrant heritage this Christmas with ‘A Swinging Jamaica One Love Christmas’ show at New York’s prestigious Birdland Jazz Club, 315 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036.

Show times are 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. nightly from Tuesday, December 17th to Saturday, December 21^st in what Dr. Alexander is calling an early Caribbean Christmas celebration. Tickets are US$30 and $40 per show and can be booked now here.

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 75, the jazz maestro continues to tour the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful messages as he has done on Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations.’

For a sample from Dr. Alexander’s latest album or to hear the backstory, 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.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia J. Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]

Dr. Monty Alexander, CD. (Hollis King Image)

CaribPR Wire, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs.  Sept. 19, 2019: Jamaica’s world-renowned, Grammy-nominated international musician, Dr. Monty Alexander, CD, celebrated his 75^th birthday in style this year, releasing his new album that has already grabbed the number 1 spot on US Jazz and NACC radio a mere 2 weeks after its release.

‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations’ is an album unlike any that Dr. Alexander has released in his more than five decades in the music business. Perhaps it is the wisdom of getting older and reflecting on one’s own musical journey that has resulted in the Mountain View, Kingston-born, Caribbean immigrant taking fans on a historical stroll down the jazz alley he has trodden, which pays tribute to the West Indian musical influences and influencers of the genre in American history.

As Dr. Alexander tells it, the album is a compilation that encapsulates the genres of roots, reggae, ska and jazz into one album – all of which have had significant impact on his musical psyche and made him into the West Indian jazz maestro he is today.

From a child of 8 observing Rastafarians going up Wareika Hill behind his house in Mountain View and hearing the sounds of their drums, to  sneaking into the Federal Recording Studios at age 14 to play piano rhythms with the musicians accompanying Jamaican singers like Keith and Enid Laurel Aitken and others recording for producers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid and Chris Blackwell, and then learning of American Jazz musician Thelonious Monk from Rasta trumpeter Jackie Willacy to hearing and then meeting the North Carolina-born jazz musician, Alexander’s ‘Wareika Hill RastaMonk Vibrations’ captures it all, while paying the most profound compliment to Monk and Rastafarianism.

“Maybe it was just my childhood memories connecting the two, but I was left with a deep impression that the world of Monk and Rasta were one spirit,” commented Dr. Alexander.   “I always thought that Monk’s compositions naturally lent themselves to West Indian and Rastafarian rhythms, perhaps accidentally or perhaps because as a child in Jamaica I had unconsciously merged and fused Rastafarians with Thelonious Monk.”

The 14-track album is dedicated to Theodore Sonny Rollins and the memory of Melbourne Bob Cranshaw and includes Dr. Alexander’s adaptation of several songs written by Monk such as ‘Misterioso,’ ‘Rhythm a ning’ and ‘Nutty,’ as well as two songs Monk played but did not write: “Abide with Me,” a beloved Christian hymn, and “Bensha Swing,” which was written by Monk’s friend and drummer, the Barbadian-roots Denzil Best.

“This should have been spelled ‘Bimsha,’ which is how Barbadians refer to themselves,” said Dr. Alexander. “‘Bemsha Swing,’ Barbados and swing – the connection with Monk and Jazz and Island rhythms was there all along given that Monk vibrated with West Indian roots musicians like Herbie Nichols, Russel Procope, Matthew Gee, Blue Mitchell, Fats Navarro, “Tricky” Sam Nanton, Carmen McRae, Arthur Taylor, Leonard Gaskin and a host of others.”

Musicians Ron Blake, Wayne Escoffery, Andrae Murchison, Joe Lovano John Scofield, J.J. Shakur, Jason Brown, Obed Calvaire, Karl Wright, Leon Duncan, Courtney Panton, Junior Wedderburn, Abashani Wedderburn, Bongo Billy and Earl Appleton appear on Dr. Alexander’s new album, merging their talent with his to create an indomitable sound that is truly and distinctly ‘RastaMonk Vibrations.’

For a sample from Dr. Monty Alexander’s latest album or to hear the backstory, 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.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Felicia J. Persaud

Hard Beat Communications

718-476-3616

[email protected]