Montgomery Bernard "Monty" AlexanderOJCD (born 6 June 1944) is a Jamaican American jazz pianist. His playing has a Caribbean influence and bright swinging feeling, with a strong vocabulary of bebop jazz and blues rooted melodies.[1] He was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner, Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Les McCann, and Frank Sinatra. Alexander also sings and plays the melodica. He is known for his surprising musical twists, bright rhythmic sense, and intense dramatic musical climaxes. His recording career has covered many of the well-known American songbook standards, jazz standards, pop hits, and Jamaican songs from his original homeland. Alexander has resided in New York City for many years and performs frequently throughout the world at jazz festivals and clubs.
Biography
Alexander was born on 6 June 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica.[2] He discovered the piano when he was four years old and seemed to have a knack for picking melodies out by ear. His mother sent him to classical music lessons at the age of six and he became interested in jazz piano at the age of 14. Monty boarded at DeCarteret College in Mandeville, then continued his education and musical prowess at Jamaica College. He began playing in clubs, and on recording sessions by Clue J & His Blues Blasters, subbing for Aubrey Adams, whom he describes as his hero, when he was unable to play.[3][4] Two years later, Alexander directed a dance orchestra (Monty and the Cyclones) and played in the local clubs covering much of the 1960s early rock and pop dance hits. Performances at the Carib Theatre in Jamaica by Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole left a strong impression on the young pianist.
Alexander and his family moved to Miami, Florida, in 1961, where he played in various nightclubs. One night Monty was brought to the attention of Frank Sinatra and Frank's friend Jilly Rizzo. They were there to see the act in the next room, a Sinatra imitator. Somebody suggested they also check out the kid playing piano in the front room bar, "He's swinging the room pretty good" they said. Thus, Monty was invited to New York City in 1962 to become the house pianist for Jilly Rizzo's night club and restaurant simply called "Jilly's." In addition to performing with Frank Sinatra there,[3] Alexander also met and became friends with bassist Ray Brown and vibist Milt Jackson. He also became friendly with Miles Davis, both men sharing a love of watching boxing matches.
In Los Angeles, in 1964, Alexander recorded his first album, Alexander the Great, for Pacific Jazz, at the age of 20.[4] The album was very energetic and upbeat, with the climax tune being "Blues for Jilly".
He recorded with Milt Jackson in 1969, with Ernest Ranglin in 1974 and in Europe the same year with Ed Thigpen. Alexander toured regularly in Europe and recorded there, mostly with his classic trio for MPS Records. He also toured around 1976 with the steelpan player Othello Molineaux.
A year later in 1977, Alexander recorded again with Milt Jackson on the LP Soul Fusion. Jackson used Alexander's trio (with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton, future big-band co-leaders) for the Pablo recorded LP which was later issued on CD through Original Jazz Classics. Much of the material is obscure (including Jackson's three originals), with Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" being the only jazz standard on the album.
Alexander formed a reggae band in the 1990s, featuring all Jamaican musicians. He has released several reggae albums, including Yard Movement (1996), Stir It Up (1999, a collection of Bob Marley songs), Monty Meets Sly & Robbie (2000), and Goin' Yard (2001). He collaborated again with Ranglin in 2004 on the album Rocksteady.[3]
Personal life
Alexander married the American jazz guitarist Emily Remler in 1981. They divorced in 1985.[5] Alexander lives in Manhattan and is married to Italian jazz singer Caterina Zapponi.
Most tracks trio, with Victor Gaskin (bass), Paul Humphrey (drums); some tracks quartet, with Gene Bertoncini (guitar), Bob Cranshaw (bass), Bruno Carr (drums)
Septet, with Vince Charles (steel drums), Ernest Ranglin (guitar), Andy Simpkins (bass), Roger Bethelmy (drums), Duffy Jackson (drums), Larry McDonald (percussion)
1979
In Tokyo
Pablo
Trio, with Andy Simpkins (bass), Frank Gant (drums)
1979
Just In Time
Live At EJ's
Trio, with Bob Maize (bass), Frank Gant (drums); released 1996
Quartet, with Reggie Johnson (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums), Robert Thomas Jr. (percussion); in concert; released 1987
1985
Saturday Night
Limetree
Quartet, with Reggie Johnson (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums), Robert Thomas Jr. (percussion); in concert; released 1988
1986
Li'l Darlin'
TDK
Trio, with John Clayton (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums); released 1993
1986
To Nat, With Love
Zanda
Sextet, with Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), John Collins (guitar), John Clayton (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums), Robert Thomas Jr. (percussion); in concert
1987
Triple Treat II
Concord
Most tracks trio, with Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass); some tracks quartet, with John Frigo (violin) added; in concert
1987
Triple Treat III
Concord
Most tracks trio, with Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass); some tracks quartet, with John Frigo (violin) added; in concert; released 1989
1988
Jamboree
Concord Picante
Septet, with Othello Molineaux and Leo "Boogsie" Sharp (steel drums), Marshall Wood (bass), Bernard Montgomery (electric bass), Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums), Robert Thomas Jr. (percussion)
1990
The River
Concord
Trio, with John Clayton (bass), Ed Thigpen (drums)
1991
Live at the Cully Select Jazz Festival
Limetree
Trio, with Lynn Seaton (bass), Duffy Jackson (drums)
^Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London: Penguin Books. p. 7. ISBN0-141-00646-3.
^Rinzler, Paul; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). "Alexander, Monty". In Barry Kernfeld (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc. p. 28. ISBN1-56159-284-6.
^ abcMoskowitz, David V. (2006), Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall, Greenwood Press, ISBN0-313-33158-8, pp. 8–9.
^ abBarrow, Steve, & Dalton, Peter (2004), The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn, Rough Guides, ISBN1-84353-329-4, pp. 24, 49.
^Nicholson, Stuart (1990), Jazz: The Modern Resurgence, Simon & Schuster, ISBN978-0671710125, p. 89.
