Monty Alexander D-Day
Nearly sixty years after he moved to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, his hometown, 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. 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.”
June 6, 2024 is a highly symbolic historical concordance which the great musician naturally embraces, since the name he was given pays homage to General Montgomery, the famous liberator. D-Day” is the title of Monty’s latest album, to be released this spring. The show itself may include more music beyond just what’s on the album
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, the Jamaican government designated Alexander Commander in the Order of Distinction in 2000 and in 2022 conferred on him the national honour Order of Jamaica for "Sterling Contributions to the Promotions of Jamaican Music and the Jazz Genre Interpretations Globally". The University of The West Indies bestowed him with an honorary doctorate (DLitt).
In special celebration of the above honour and his Jamaican heritage, Monty will be joined on Wednesday evening (26th June) by special guest, top trombonist and educator Dennis Rollins who was born in the UK of Jamaican parents. Together, they will empathetically explore the music of their ancestral roots.
“I love Jamaica. I love America. I love them both together more than each one separately. I inhabit the rhythmic aspect of both things. I can’t explain why. I do it naturally and joyfully. I am confident and proud and privileged to say that I come from a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic thing. The slogan of Jamaica is like America’s ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ ‘out of many, one people.’
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