11/13/2022 0 Comments Shubert compositions![]() He spoke at length about the cultural intersection of New York City that helped shape the music of Thelonious Monk. From his scrappy start as a Jamaican teen pianist making his name in Miami to his meeting with Frank Sinatra that launched his star, it seemed Alexander’s ascension was preordained. His annotations tied the songs together in a loose narrative of the African diaspora through the lens of his prodigiously creative life. "I paired Marvin with somebody I think Marcus would appreciate, Mr. Smiling eyes and nods met each other in silent admiration. The negative space from Gaye’s absent vocals created a collaborative effort-a few people in the audience couldn’t resist humming along. Where Gaye poured his mourning for the state of the union into his lyrics, Alexander’s instrumental invited listeners to meet him halfway. Drops of frisson in amber waves of brain. The intervening years colored the montage, but Alexander softened the images with the bounce of his right hand. The despair of the original felt seaglass-rubbed by time. He prefaced the Marvin Gaye cover with his updated title, “Wha Gwan?” Involuntarily, this reporter’s ears perked up for a sip of malted Motown. So even when Alexander isn’t playing Monk on Wareika Hill, he’s still playing Monk.Īlexander dedicated the next song to Jamaican activist and icon Marcus Garvey. Among the people enslaved on the Archibald Monk Plantation in Rocky Mount were Thelonious Monk’s ancestors. The shared surname is no coincidence-the Monks of England eventually became the Monks of North Carolina. The original composer, however, was British organist and hymnal curator William Henry Monk, who wrote it in the late 1880s. The piece features on Alexander’s album Wareika Hill Rastamonk Vibrations, his tribute to the mid-20 th century pianist and composer Thelonious Sphere Monk. In his opening number, the gospel standard “Abide with Me,” Alexander breathed a Bill Withers tone into the air, the chords lingering over the beat like university fight song. The concert is part of a sweeping new vision from Executive Director Anthony McDonald that looks and sounds more like New Haven than the Shubert has in decades.Ī sense of interweaving histories flowed through the set. When he began to play, whole musical universes came together under one roof.Īlexander graced the stage at New Haven’s Shubert Theatre last Saturday night, bringing stories, songs, and fellow musicians from his decades-long career with him to perform at the downtown venue. His bellowing Jamaican lilt bounced over the audience. "It’s nice to have a job!” mused the platinum-haired pianist from the stage. Monty Alexander radiated the eternal cool of the Caribbean even before he touched the keys. Maya McFadden Photo courtesy of the New Haven Independent. Monty Alexander performs alongside T.K Blue. ![]()
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