Yamaha Adds Legendary Jazz Pianist Monty Alexander to its Artist Roster

Yamaha Artist Services New York today announced that Monty Alexander, one of the all-time greatest jazz pianists, has joined the company's impressive roster of artists. "As a longtime fan of Monty Alexander, I am delighted to officially welcome him to our family of Yamaha Artists," said Bonnie Barrett, director of Yamaha Services.

In a career spanning five decades and more than 70 CDs, Monty Alexander has performed or recorded with such luminary artists as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones and Bobby McFerrin, among others. He was nominated for a Grammy in 2011 for his CD, "Harlem-Kingston Express LIVE" and received a 2014 Soul Train Award for "Harlem-Kingston Express 2: The River Rolls On."

"Yamaha is a soulful piano," Alexander said. "From the very first time I played one, I knew that in addition to having an excellent and responsive touch, it would also hold up under pressure in a variety of circumstances. This has been the case with me for more than 50 years."

Alexander's playing is influenced by Nat Cole, Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner and Wynton Kelly and retains a strong Caribbean influence, but with a significant bebop flavor and bright swinging feeling. "He is a consummate musician who has advanced the greatest traditions of jazz together with the rhythms and melodies of his native Jamaica," Barrett added. "Monty Alexander is a true American icon who continues to be a huge influence on musicians worldwide and we are proud that he has selected Yamaha pianos as his instrument of choice."