MUSICIANS
Monty Alexander: Piano
John Clayton: Bass
Jeff Hamilton: Drums
Hanson Shakur - Bass (5,6,10)
Frits Landesbergen -drums (5,6,10)

Produced by: John Lee
Executive Producer: Lisa Broderick

Release: 2013
Price: $10.00

UPLIFT 2.  Jamaica is known for the undulating sounds of reggae, but it also contributed mightily to the jazz continuum. Dizzy Reese, Ernest Ranglin, and Harry Beckett are from Jamaica, but perhaps the island’s best-known jazz export is Monty Alexander, a pianist that’s been enthralling jazz fans for decades. Alexander’s 2011 album Uplift topped the JazzWeek chart twice that year—and when JazzWeek charted the most-played CDs of the year, Uplift was #5. Between that CD and Harlem-Kingston Express Live, Alexander has officially dominated the US Radio Charts with three # 1 spots, all in the summer of 2011. Harlem-Kingston Express (Motema, also 2011) was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category.

UPLIFT

MUSICIANS
Monty Alexander - piano
Hassan Shakur - bass
Herlin Riley - drums
Frits Landesbergen -drums (1,5,6)

Produced by: John Lee
Executive Producer: Lisa Broderick

Release: 2011
Price: $10.00

UPLIFT. The words “genius”, “piano”, “virtuoso”, and “jazz” are very seldom used in the same sentence. Over the long history of jazz these four words have only consistently appeared together when discussing the work of Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Erroll Garner, Hank Jones, and Oscar Peterson. You can argue the case for quite a few virtuoso jazz pianists of past and present, but when their body of work is compared side by side, you will always end up with the names of Tatum, Cole, Garner, Jones, and Peterson on top.