Joey Alexander Trio at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Pianist Joey Alexander elicits more than a lifetime of soulfulness at the ripe old age of thirteen. At age six, he began plucking out well-known jazz melodies on the keyboard without any formal instruction, thanks to plenty of listening to his father’s record collection. Joey’s precocious start was encouraged by his parents and he progressed rapidly, displaying an empathy for nuance and harmonic sophistication far beyond his years. The influences of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and John Coltrane are all evident in his adventurous spirit—not many adult musicians can tackle the harmonic complexity of Coltrane’s Giant Steps, or the quirkiness of Monk’s Well, You Needn’t, with Joey’s adroitness...

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Pianist Joey Alexander elicits more than a lifetime of soulfulness at the ripe old age of thirteen. At age six, he began plucking out well-known jazz melodies on the keyboard without any formal instruction, thanks to plenty of listening to his father’s record collection. Joey’s precocious start was encouraged by his parents and he progressed rapidly, displaying an empathy for nuance and harmonic sophistication far beyond his years. The influences of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and John Coltrane are all evident in his adventurous spirit—not many adult musicians can tackle the harmonic complexity of Coltrane’s Giant Steps, or the quirkiness of Monk’s Well, You Needn’t, with Joey’s adroitness. And even without formal training, Alexander’s phenomenal technique never overshadows his musicality, a rare quality in young players. His recording debut, My Favorite Things, showcases his prodigious talent on several jazz classics and received a 2016 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. To hear Joey for the first time leaves audiences awestruck from the realization that someone so young could play with such effortless authority and depth of expression. Currently, his parents wisely limit his appearances so he can just enjoy being a kid, but the future continues to look very bright for this astute young musician.

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