Jamaican Jazz Great Performs In DC

BLACKS, AFRICAN AMERICAN, MINORITIES, CIVIL RIGHTS, DISCRIMINATION, RACISM, RACIAL EQUALITY, BIAS, EQUALITY, AFRO AMERICANS

Jazz Great Monty Alexander

WASHINGTON - The warmth of the music of renowned Jamaican Jazz pianist, Monty Alexander, will heat up the cold winter night on Capital Hill this New Year's Eve as the top musician gets ready to perform at Washington, D.C.'s finest jazz and supper club.

Alexander, Jamaica's acclaimed Commander of Distinction, will perform at the historic Blues Alley, 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., from Sunday, December 26th thru Friday, December 31st. Show times for the December 26^th to the 30^th shows will be 8 and 10 p.m. each night but on New Year's eve, special performances will be at 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., respectively.

Blues Alley, the nation's oldest continuing jazz supper club founded in 1965, will present a special Caribbean night on Wednesday, December 29th.

Alexander is urging all Caribbean nationals to attend the show and celebrate the cultural diversity of the region.

Alexander has the distinction of being named one of the greatest piano players in jazz. The Kingston-born musician has performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Ernest Ranglin, Barbara Hendricks, Bill Cosby, Bobby McFerrin, Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare and on the "Concrete Jungle, The Music of Bob Marley collection" over his five decade-long career.

He has recorded over 60 albums to date and is set to mark his 50^th year in the music industry with a new album next year. His 1976 Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festival performance with drummer Jeff Hamilton and bassist John Clayton has become one of the most celebrated live recordings in contemporary jazz. Alexander's most recent albums on the Telarc label include trio sessions, such as "Impressions in Blue," and the live concert recording "Goin' Yard." His release on Chesky is "Calypso Blues" is a tribute to his hero Nat Cole.

In August 2000, the Jamaican government awarded Alexander the title of Commander in the Order of Distinction for outstanding services to Jamaica as a worldwide music ambassador.