Any jazz snob who has turned his or her nose to this talented young man would be wise to re-evaluate your stance. Origin is Alexander’s first album for Mack Avenue Records, and it is also his best. But with Origin, he achieves his highest watermark yet by creating an original work that stands tall on its own accord. He has also been the subject of profiles on 60 Minutes and The New York Times. Over the course of his astonishing career, Alexander has performed with Wayne Shorter and Esperanza Spalding at the Obama White House, for President Bill Clinton at the Arthur Ashe Learning Center Gala, at the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo Theater, Carnegie Hall and at major jazz festivals and night clubs around the world.
He’s a normal 11-year-old kid who just happens to be a jazz piano prodigy from Indonesia. This week, Alexander released his debut CD, 'My Favorite Things,' making a statement on the opening track with a 10. He's a normal 11-year-old kid who just happens to be a jazz piano prodigy from Indonesia and has already impressed such jazz luminaries as Wynton Marsalis and Herbie Hancock. After his busy life in New York City, the stillness and calm there was a welcome change of pace that let him “pause and enjoy the moment.” He hopes the tune will encourage listeners to do the same. NEW YORK (AP) Joey Alexander’s favorite things include the Avengers, SpongeBob and Thelonious Monk. NEW YORK (AP) Joey Alexander's favorite things include the Avengers, SpongeBob and Thelonious Monk. He's a normal 11-year-old kid who just happens to be a jazz piano prodigy from Indonesia and has already. The place he stayed was near the beach, so at night, he could hear the waves. Joey Alexander's favorite things include the Avengers, SpongeBob and Thelonious Monk. Joey Alexander's favorite things include the Avengers, SpongeBob and Thelonious Monk. Much of Origin was composed in New York, but the fluttery, hypnotic “Midnight Waves” comes from an extended return visit to Bali, where Alexander spent his early years. Joey Alexander Origin, Mack Avenue Records 2022 “Rise Up” is a wild and joyous romp in 9, with Hekselman and Potter back on the case, celebrating the ecstatic release that comes through spontaneous creation.
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Alexander also ventures into two vastly free improvisations on the album. And when they are joined by Origin’s special guests–red hot reedist Chris Potter on saxophones and master guitarist Gilad Hekselman–Alexander’s originals really take off, as the funky, aforementioned “Winter Blues” resoundingly signifies. Together, they form one of the finest working piano trios in action today. Paramount to which includes the return of his massive rhythm section featured on his last LP, 2020’s Warna on the Verve label, in bassist Larry Grenadier–who has been working with Joey since his 2015 debut My Favorite Things–and acclaimed drummer Kendrick Scott. There are even two songs on here, “Winter Blues” and “Summer Rising,” which find Joey testing his chops on the Fender Rhodes.Īdding to the mood is the pianist’s accompaniment on Origin. There’s this level of comfort here that makes you feel as if you’ve heard this material before, even. Yet you can hear the spirits of these icons channeling through the expanded imaginative palette Joey expresses across these 10 new compositions.
It is his first set of all-original material, having honed his craft throughout his tweens and teens interpreting material from such masters as John Coltrane, Billy Strayhorn, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. Nearly eight years later, the now 19-year-old Indonesia-born Alexander has just seen the vinyl release of his sixth album as a leader, Origin. One of the great joys of being a jazz listener in these last 10 years has been watching the rise of pianist Joey Alexander.Ī child prodigy since the age of six, Joey first made his mark on the American jazz scene in 2014 when, at just 10 years old, he was invited by Wynton Marsalis to play the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s annual gala that May. I love everything about his playing - his rhythm, his confidence, his understanding of the music.Joey Alexander (Image: Mack Avenue Records) Trumpeter and jazz great Wynton Marsalis says: “There has never been anyone that you can think of who could play like that at his age. He’s also received praise from the some of the most well-respected names in his profession. Now all of 13, Joey Alexander has released two studio albums, been nominated for two Grammy Awards, and performed in front of President Obama. At age 6, he taught himself to play the piano by listening to his father’s Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk records, and later honed his skill playing in cafes and clubs throughout Bali. But that is precisely what happened earlier this year when Joey Alexander, a musical prodigy from Bali, Indonesia, performed a dazzling piano solo at the 58th Grammy Awards.ĭespite his age, Alexander is already considered a masterful jazz talent, with the reputation of a seasoned musician. Few 12 year-olds have brought musical heavyweights like Common, Kendrick Lamar, and Taylor Swift to their feet.
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