Jamaican-born, Grammy-nominated international jazz maestro, Monty Alexander, CD, is set to make his first United States performance this holiday as a newly-minted honorary Doctorate of Letters of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.
Alexander, who has made his mark globally for his own brand of jazz, will celebrate the holidays at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, (JCAL), 153-10 Jamaica Ave., Queens, NY 11432, on Dec. 15, 2018 at 7 pm. under the theme “Love Notes.”
The performance is expected to feature the maestro’s mashup of jazz with calypso, reggae, mento and other island music from his Grammy-nominated album, and leave many fans tapping their feet, straight up dancing or make converts of the staid.
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. He began his musical career at age four by playing Christmas carols by ear.
Alexander 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.
Healso 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 monty
