October 4 at
All Souls at Sundown:

Monty Alexander, piano
Hassan Shakur, bass
and the poetry of John Keats

“Crisp, energetic, brightly swinging… the complete pianist, an extrovert whose technique spans myriad traditions, from bebop to stride, swing to R&B, Beatles pop to boogie-woogie and dub reggae. Yet at the same time his signature remains instantly recognisable. Little wonder that the ‘house full’ sign was outside the entrance for his opening night.”

—The New York Times

In a career spanning five decades and more than 60 albums as bandleader, pianist Monty Alexander has performed and recorded with artists from every corner of the musical universe and entertainment world, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, and Bobby McFerrin. His recent albums include Impressions in Blue and the live concert recording Goin’ Yard. His current release is Calypso Blues, a tribute to his hero Nat Cole. Alexander deftly bridges the worlds of American jazz, popular song, and the music of his native Jamaica, finding in each a sincere spirit of musical expression.

Subject of the current-release movie Bright Star, the celebrated English Romantic poet John Keats wrote almost all of his major poetry during a single year, beginning when he was 23. “Of all the nineteenth-century poets who wrote in English, Keats has demonstrated the most universal power to move readers in our own time” (Harold Bloom).