Monty Alexander celebrates 50 years in music

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Master pianist, Monty Alexander, continues to celebrate his 50th anniversary of performing by offering up a mélange of music from Jamaica to Sinatra and Cole this December in the United States.

Alexander, whose recent album, Uplift has held the number one spot on the Jazz World Radio charts for 14 straight weeks, says he will be paying tribute to his musical heroes Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as part of the Singers over Manhattan Series at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Centre in New York on December 9 and 10.

It was Frank Sinatra and pal, Jilly Rizzo, who first brought Alexander to New York while in his late teens where he went on to play at their New York night club, Jilly's. There Alexander actually accompanied Sinatra when he sang.

But prior to that adventure, Alexander says he grew up in Jamaica listening to Nat King Cole and after seeing him in 1956 in Kingston, at age 12, he knew he wanted to play jazz for the rest of his life.

Thirty-four years later, Natalie Cole, the daughter of Nat King Cole, invited Alexander to assist her on her album, Unforgettable, a tribute to her father.

Alexander will also be joined in the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Centre by guitarist Russell Malone and saxophonist Houston Person. Vocalist James De Frances, a 21-year-old phenom, and veteran, Allan Harris, will perform the respective roles of Sinatra and Cole.

The celebrated pianist will move on the legendary Blues Alley in the US capital, Washington DC, to wrap up the year and ring in another, from December 28-31. From Jamaica With Love will be the highlight of Alexander's performance, showcasing some of the quartet version from his latest Harlem Kingston experience, taking the audience on a musical journey between his Jamaican roots and his American jazz roots.

"I'm very glad to be able to end 2011 and part of my 50th year of celebration in music this way, where I can present my personal reflections at these two treasures of American culture at its best," said Alexander.

Over his five-decade-long career, Alexander, who has earned a place among the top five jazz artistes in Hal Leonard's book, The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of all Time, has performed with international stars including 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.

He maintains an active touring schedule, bringing his own brand of jazz to audiences around the world.