MONTY ALEXANDER - Living History, Jamaica to Jazz

In celebration of KUVO's 40th Anniversary!

Nearly sixty years after he moved to the United States from his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, Grammy©​ nominated pianist Monty Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly with various projects, delighting a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and soulful message. A perennial favorite at Jazz festivals and venues worldwide, his spirited conception is one informed by the timeless verities: endless melody-making, effervescent grooves, sophisticated voicings, a romantic spirit, and a consistent predisposition, as Alexander accurately states, “to build up the heat and kick up a storm.” In the course of any given performance, Alexander applies those aesthetics to a repertoire spanning a broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expressions—the American songbook and the blues, gospel, bebop, calypso, and reggae.

TICKETS

Documented on more than 75 recordings and cited as the fifth greatest jazz pianist ever in The Fifty Greatest Jazz Piano Players of All Time (Hal Leonard Publishing), the Jamaican government conferred on him the national honor of the Order of Jamaica in 2022 for "Sterling Contributions to the Promotions of Jamaican Music and the Jazz Genre Interpretations Globally". In 2018, the University of the West Indies bestowed him with an honorary doctorate (DLitt) in recognition of his accomplishments.

June 6, 2024, marked the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings. It was also the day Monty Alexander turned 80. The latest release, D-Day (PeeWee!) commemorates these events with 11 tracks of wartime standards and Monty's original compositions.

Monty Alexander, piano

Luke Sellick, ac. bass

Jason Brown, drums