Dimitriou's Jazz Alley presents Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Monty Alexander on tour in support of his new album D-DAY. Band members are Monty Alexander (piano), Luke Sellick (bass) and Jason Brown (drums). Show times Thursday through Sunday at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm Thursday and 5:30pm Friday - Sunday. *This show is supported by KNKX.
ARTIST INFO
New album from pianist extraordinaire D-Day - world wide release: March 29, 2024.
June 6, 2024, marked the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings a.k.a D-Day. It’s also the day Monty Alexander turned 80. A highly symbolic historical concordance which the great musician naturally embraces for a unique tribute to this historical day with a new recording entitled D-Day that features wartime songs as well as original compositions. Through his music, Monty seeks to highlight the importance of understanding and unity, reminding us of the lessons learned from the past. It's an album that commemorates history, celebrates a milestone, and promotes a message of peace.
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.
One biography page could never contain the entire fascinating history... click the decades tabs on Monty's website (link below) to discover Monty's amazing journey through his nearly 7 decades in music.
His work is in a sense, a history of Jazz piano … and yet, he distills all these influences into his own style. - Derek Jewel, The London Sunday Times
You may also like the following events from Dimitriou's Jazz Alley:
- This Thursday, 15th May, 07:30 pm, The Original Robert Glasper Piano Trio in Seattle
- Next Thursday, 22nd May, 07:30 pm, Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sanchez Trio in Seattle
- This month, 27th May, 07:30 pm, Lindsey Webster in Seattle
Also check out other
Music events in Seattle,
Entertainment events in Seattle,
Festivals in Seattle.
