Named the fifth greatest jazz pianist of all time (Hal Leonard Publishing), Grammy-nominated pianist Monty Alexander delights a global audience drawn to his vibrant personality and broad range of jazz and Jamaican musical expressions. Nearly 60 years after he moved to the United States from his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, Alexander is an American classic, touring the world relentlessly and sharing his signature soulful message.
A perennial favorite at jazz festivals and venues worldwide and at the Montreux Jazz Festival where he has appeared 23 times since 1976, Alexander’s 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 and bebop, calypso and reggae. The Jamaican government designated Alexander Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2000 and 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 degree in recognition of his accomplishments.
Monty's latest album, titled Love Notes, (released August 19, 2022) is his first recording featuring his vocals. Also in the works is The Monty Alexander Movie, a documentary on Alexander’s life and music. Directed by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Jefferson Miller and veteran filmmaker Arthur Gorson, the project is currently in production in Jamaica, the US, and Europe.
