“Gladjazz” is light-hearted, mostly uncomplicated jazz with its roots anchored in the swing style of the 1930s or inspired by the Dixieland orchestras of the 1920s. Glad jazz – written as two words – is much more than that. Glad jazz is all jazz that conveys joy. It doesn´t necessarily have to be uncomplicated, but it does have to appeal to the heart as well as to the brain, and preferably also to one´s dancing feet. Glad jazz has showcased iconic performers throughout the history of jazz. This year, Maijazz is proud to present one of the greatest of them all – pianist Monty Alexander.
Alexander hails from Jamaica and has never forgotten his Caribbean roots. He began playing clubs in Kingston, and frequenting the city’s recording studios, at the tender age of 15. In the beginning, it was the pop and rock of the time (early 1960s), as well as reggae and ska, that were the primary influences. Suddenly, Kingston was playing host to American bands and concert performances by the likes of Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole, among others, quickly putting young Monty on a pathway to both traditional and more modern jazz.
Eventually, the family moved to Miami. There, Alexander got to play gigs with Frank Sinatra and with jazz greats such as vibraphonist Milt Jackson and bassist Ray Brown. Alexander also became friends with Miles Davis – they both enjoyed watching, and talking about, boxing.
Monty Alexander has a wealth of recordings to his name, many of them featuring the same bassists and drummers as those used by Oscar Peterson. With his rich, orchestral musical style, he is particularly well-tuned to the classical trio format, sometimes accompanied by steel drums – a Caribbean specialty – in addition to regular drums. The repertoire is typically a wonderful mix of blues, swing and bebop jazz mixed with calypsos and reggae. In between, he has recorded pure reggae works such as the LPs “Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley” and “Monty Meets Sly and Robbie”, as well as film music – he plays on several of the pieces that can be heard in “Bird”, Clint Eastwood’s portrait of Charlie Parker. And although he never got to accompany his source of inspiration Nat King Cole, he features prominently in Natalie Cole’s famous tribute to her father, “Unforgettable”.
He may have turned 80, but Monty Alexander is still unstoppable on tour. He has performed so many times at the Montreux Festival that a couple of years ago, the management of this most famous jazz festival in Europe released its own CD with some of the highlights from over the years, entitled “Monty Alexander: The Montreux Years”. Very few other artists have received the same accolade.
So, what can the Stavanger audience expect? The Washington Post’s correspondent wrote the following after attending a concert: “Featuring tender ballads and classic swing, the jazz pianist’s trio set was an impeccable performance full of beauty and joy”. The Globe and Mail worded it this way: “When Monty Alexander sits down at the piano, you can’t help but smile. Go ahead, try not to. The jazzman plays with such delight and sense of humour that if your foot’s not tapping, chances are you might be dead”.