Musical Style: JazzOn Continuance, his seventh album as a leader, the Bali, Indonesia-born pianist, composer, and bandleader JOEY ALEXANDER has far surpassed his earlier incarnations: heโs now comfortable in his new identity as a composer-pianist of fertile imagination and emotional depth.Since a tender age, Joey has been widely regarded as one of the most highly skilled pianists and thoughtful improvisers in jazz. Continuance, however, presents him primarily as a composer of haunting chamber jazz who leads an ensemble with its own point of view. Continuance shows his writing and playing have continued to deepen.Talking about his growth as a composer, Joey cites inspirations from outside the jazz world, including Ennio Morricone, John Mayer, Burt Bacharach, and, perhaps surprisingly, even Bonnie Raitt.โI learn from all these artists about the different genres I can bring into my music,โ Joey says...
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Musical Style: JazzOn Continuance, his seventh album as a leader, the Bali, Indonesia-born pianist, composer, and bandleader JOEY ALEXANDER has far surpassed his earlier incarnations: heโs now comfortable in his new identity as a composer-pianist of fertile imagination and emotional depth.Since a tender age, Joey has been widely regarded as one of the most highly skilled pianists and thoughtful improvisers in jazz. Continuance, however, presents him primarily as a composer of haunting chamber jazz who leads an ensemble with its own point of view. Continuance shows his writing and playing have continued to deepen.Talking about his growth as a composer, Joey cites inspirations from outside the jazz world, including Ennio Morricone, John Mayer, Burt Bacharach, and, perhaps surprisingly, even Bonnie Raitt.โI learn from all these artists about the different genres I can bring into my music,โ Joey says. โI still love hearing jazz, of course. But all these influences help me to be a better composer. Iโm always thinking โHow can I connect with a broader audience.โ In my pursuit of being a better improviser and composer, I always strive to bring fresh, creative ideas to the table, both melodically and harmonically.โContinuance finds him once again concentrating on his own tunes. It is also the first album he has recorded with his regular touring trio of Kris Funn on upright bass and John Davis on drums, a group with whom he has played hundreds of gigs over the past four years. They are augmented on four tracks by Grammy-nominated trumpet player Theo Croker.The trioโs road-tested chops show in their effortless synchrony, near-telepathic communication, and the grace with which they support each otherโs musical expression. It all results in an album that is anything but a soloist doing a star turn, backed by a rhythm section; rather, itโs a finely calibrated machine, a crack ensemble stretching out.Joey was delighted to work with the gifted trumpeter Croker. โI love hearing Theo play my melodies with such sensitivity,โ he says. โI always wanted to work with a trumpet player, and I wanted a quartet format for this album. Before the recording, I knew of Theo but hadnโt met him. I loved his sound and stylistic range. He brings a lot. He has a great command of the instrument.โ Another thing that endears him to Joey: โHeโs not flashy. Like Chris and John, heโs a team player.โThe album, which contains five new originals and two memorable covers, firmly establishes the young maestroโs compositional approach, based on modern jazz riffs and genreless grooves, with moody, hooky melodies and dazzling solos.โOrigin was my first album of all originals. This is a continuation of that, as I continue to compose,โ Joey explains. โTo me the heart of the album is the compositions themselves.โHe explains his process, saying โI try to be loose and spontaneous when Iโm practicing or writing.โ So, he says, when an idea arrives, โIโll record it on the spot and have somebody notate it for me later. I never know when inspiration will strike, so I want to be open to it at all times.โJazz is a personal thing,โ he adds. โAnd improvisation is the most honest way a musician can express himself. And I think that the more I write, the better I become as an improviser.โSpeaking of his trio-mates, Funn and Davis, Joey says, โThey have the voice and the interpretation that I need to express these compositions. I wanted to capture the groove we have on the road. Everything falls into the right place with them. Thatโs what makes a great band.โContinuance starts with a bang with โBlue,โ one of the five originals. Says Joey, โThe blues inspired the songโฆthe composition and the solos both have blues elements. But I named it โBlueโ for another reason. Blue is a tranquil color โ itโs calming. At the same time, I wanted this song to have high energy. So it has both qualities at the same time.โ On other tracks, he continues his sonic exploration of other keyboard sounds and textures besides acoustic piano, playing an astonishing Fender Rhodes solo on โZealousyโ and playing Mellotron flute on โAliceanna.โ The other originals, both with memorable melodies, are โWhy Donโt Weโ and โHear Me Now.โThe two covers are both iconic in their own way: Raittโs unforgettable โI Canโt Make You Love Me,โ and the touching gospel standard โGreat Is Thy Faithfulness.โJoey explains how the former song came to his attention: โI didnโt know about Bonnie Raitt before, but when I first heard the song, I felt moved and thought I should try a jazz version, with my own twists and personality. Itโs such a beautiful tune. I always look for songs that are a good match for my sound and our group sound, and this works so well with a trio. Itโs a great piano song; the original recording is centered around the piano playing first. I always get a great response when I play it. It has become one of my favorite songs to perform.โโGreat Is Thy Faithfulnessโ is, even without words, a highly affecting declaration of faith. Says Joey, โWhen I play a cover song, I try to internalize it like Iโm a singer. I didnโt know this one growing up, but I heard it in church. When I play it, I think about my gratitude for this gift, which is a calling from God. I feel like Iโm giving back to God.โโโโโโโโโโ-Born in Bali, Indonesia, Joey Alexander has been performing professionally since 2013 when Wynton Marsalis invited him to perform at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala. Alexander subsequently moved to New York City and released his debut album, My Favorite Things, in 2015 on Motรฉma Music, followed by three more on the label, a fifth on Verve as well as his Mack Avenue debut album, Origin, in 2022. Alexanderโs albums have netted three GRAMMYยฎ Award nominations: one for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (My Favorite Things) and two for Best Improvised Jazz Solo (โGiant Steps,โ from My Favorite Things, and โCountdownโ from the album of the same name), with My Favorite Things and Countdown securing the No. 1 spot on the Billboard jazz charts and Eclipse coming at No. 3.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 nightclubs around the world with top-shelf collaborators like Larry Grenadier, Kendrick Scott, Chris Potter and many others. He has also been the subject of profiles on 60 Minutes and The New York Times.AND Make any night special with our Date Night Package. $45 for a delightful bottle of wine and a decadent dessert to share. Add it to your evening by emailing host@dazzledenver.com.For more information go to https://www.dazzledenver.com/dazzle-date-night-package/
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