$24.50
The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou?s Jazz Alley presents for four nights pianist Monty Alexander, touring in support of his latest release Concrete Jungle. Band members include: Monty Alexander, (piano), Hassan Shakur (acoustic bass), Herlin Riley (drums), Courtney Panton (electric bass), Wayne Armond (guitar/vocals). Set times on Thursday through Saturday are at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Set times on Sunday are at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.
In 1999, Jamaican born jazz pianist Monty Alexander made his Telarc debut with the release of Stir It Up, a tribute to the music of reggae icon Bob Marley. Since then, Alexander has assembled a diverse body of work with recordings ranging from straight-ahead jazz to the American songbook to world music. Seven years after Stir It Up, Alexander digs deeper into the music and mythos of Bob Marley with Concrete Jungle March 28, 2006/Telarc), a further exploration of Marley?s legacy. Recorded in the late summer of 2005 at Marley?s own Tuff Gong Studios in Kingston, Jamaica, Concrete Jungle is a set of twelve compositions penned by Marley and reinterpreted via Alexander?s jazz piano-oriented arrangements. Performing all four nights at Jazz Alley will be Monty?s acoustic trio combined with an all-Jamaican reggae rhythm section.
By grafting the traditions of American jazz to his authentic Jamaican roots, he has spent a lifetime exploring the rich depths of musical and cultural diversity. Having grown up in Kingston, Jamaica where he worked as a teenage studio musician in the late 50?s he has a genuine respect for his subject matter. Monty knew of Bob Marley before anyone outside of Jamaica did.
Alexander came to the United States toward the end of 1961. Less than two years later, he landed a gig with Art Mooney?s orchestra in Las Vegas, where he caught the eye of New York City club owner Jilly Rizzo and his friend, Frank Sinatra. Rizzo hired the young pianist to work in his club, where he accompanied many well-known performers, including Sinatra. He also met Milt Jackson, who hired Monty to work with him, and eventually introduced him to bassist Ray Brown (with whom he subsequently recorded and performed on many occasions). One introduction led to another, and before long he was working with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Sonny Rollins.