Joey Alexander Trio at Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Pianist Joey Alexander elicits more than a lifetime of soulfulness at the ripe old age of eleven. He was only six years old when, without any formal instruction, he began plunking out well-known jazz melodies on the keyboard, thanks to plenty of listening to his father’s record collection. His parents encouraged Joey’s precocious start and he progressed rapidly, displaying 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 this youngster’s adventurous spirit, and soon both Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis became key advocates for the young prodigy...

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Pianist Joey Alexander elicits more than a lifetime of soulfulness at the ripe old age of eleven. He was only six years old when, without any formal instruction, he began plunking out well-known jazz melodies on the keyboard, thanks to plenty of listening to his father’s record collection. His parents encouraged Joey’s precocious start and he progressed rapidly, displaying 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 this youngster’s adventurous spirit, and soon both Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis became key advocates for the young prodigy. 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. His recording debut, My Favorite Things, showcases his exceptional talent on several jazz classics.

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