Monty Alexander was born on June 6, 1944, the day of the Allied landings in Normandy. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the Jamaican pianist is releasing a new album with the appropriate title D-day. This CD consists of works heard during the war years and original melodies guided by a sense of hope. It is the first act of a celebration that will take place on stages around the world in 2024.
At a time when international tensions seem to be threatening the planet’s geopolitical balance, Monty Alexander appeals to reason. He counters the current economic and political confrontations with a simple message: “ As long as the logic of the domination of one people over another is not discredited or abandoned, there will be war “. These wise words, taken from the title ” War » Following the example of his compatriot Bob Marley, we recall some obvious facts that sometimes end up being overlooked in diplomatic entanglements. When Bernard Montgomery Alexander was born 80 years ago in Kingston, Jamaica, he was a British citizen and therefore knew what colonization meant in the daily lives of a population.
Although he expresses himself in the language of American jazz, Monty Alexander has never forgotten his cultural roots. His encounters with the great virtuosos of the 20th century, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, George Benson, Ahmad Jamal, Dizzy Gillespie and Harry Belafonte, never led him away from his original source of inspiration. This artistic peculiarity has made it famous. He possessed a multicolored musical and cultural wealth and was able to combine different idioms. He enjoyed mixing his repertoire with ska accents or be-bop acrobatics to bring the greatest joy to his admirers. Whether he’s playing the works of Ernest Ranglin or Thelonious Monk, Monty Alexander thrives. His mischievous pianistic phrasing happily redraws the contours of swing with that irresistible Caribbean touch.
D-day is certainly an anniversary album, but it is also a celebration of a major step in the artistic development of a great figure in The Epic of Black Music, whose musicality is immediately recognizable. Few artists have achieved the feat of distinguishing themselves to this extent by continually cultivating the isolated timbres of their youth. Monty Alexander defended his difference in the Concert of Nations with such universalistic generosity that his name stands among the undeniable masters of our time.
Monty Alexander will perform in Cully, Switzerland on April 7th during the 41st Cully Jazz Festival. He will continue his world tour in Japan. He will then return to Europe this summer with an expected appearance at New Morning in Paris on July 3, 2024.
► The website of Monty Alexander
► The website of Cully Jazz.
