Monty Alexander at Ronnie Scott’s
I dare to say it; there are no finer or more musical jazz pianists performing today than Monty Alexander. His precision, his deftness, his ability to move from lyricism to percussive energy, is constantly extraordinary. He has been playing at Ronnie Scott’s for as long as I can remember, certainly since the late 1970s, and every time I hear him I marvel; no less on 25th June this year than when I first heard him in the smoke-filled old room. These days Ronnie Scott’s is a cabaret concert hall but in many ways that brings out Alexander’s artistry even more clearly.
His great gift is to be able to move seamlessly between musical traditions. He can make a Bob Marley song a subject for a classical theme and variations without losing its reggae heart; Alexander’s Jamaican background ensuring that it is full of respect and compassion. He can do the same for a rumba or a Gershwin standard. He has an instinct for merging the jazz impulses of New York with the rhythms of the Caribbean that makes his rehearsed improvisations unlike anybody else’s.
Now in his eighties he has lost none of his insistence on exact ensemble from his drum and double bass collaborators. Every note has to be together, every entry strong and definite. He is like one of those old-school conductors who insisted on the orchestra playing at the precise moment when the tip of the baton gives the beat; no anticipation, no blurring of the attack. And yet he can make the piano sing with the softest of touches, delicately placing and embroidering a melody so that it entrances.
The programming policy at the Frith Street club leans towards single appearances rather than the week-long residencies of old. This is sometimes successful, in that it allows for a far greater number of performers to find a slot. But in the case of a global treasure like Monty Alexander, having him around and making the London stage his home for sizeable chunks of the month would be a gift to the generations who have not yet discovered him.
For a full list of upcoming performances, visit the official Ronnie Scott’s gigs and events page.
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[image Credit : Nice Jazz Festival]
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