Biography
Indonesian-born pianist Joey Alexander first drew widespread notice as a ten-year-old jazz prodigy whose exceptional talent quickly attracted support from established figures such as his idol Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis. He gained broad recognition in 2014, receiving multiple Grammy nominations for the 2015 release My Favorite Things and the 2016 album Countdown, both of which reached the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Alexander has kept developing as an improviser and composer while fronting a trio that includes veteran bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Kendrick Scott, and he has maintained a steady presence in the jazz Top 20 with Eclipse in 2018, Warna in 2020, and Origin in 2022. On the 2023 album Continuance he expanded his palette by incorporating Fender Rhodes and Mellotron alongside contributions from trumpeter Theo Croker.
Born Josiah Alexander Sila in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia in 2003, Alexander received his earliest musical exposure from his father, an amateur musician and dedicated jazz enthusiast. By the age of six he had already taught himself piano through repeated listening to recordings by Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and others. Lacking formal instruction and initially limited to a small keyboard supplied by his father, he reached a striking level of skill; by age eight he was sitting in with local professionals. In 2012 he performed for Herbie Hancock during the pianist’s visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, in his capacity as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and the next year he took first place at the Master Jam-Fest in Odessa, Ukraine.
Alexander moved with his family to New York City in 2014, where Wynton Marsalis invited him to appear at a Jazz at Lincoln Center gala. Additional prominent engagements soon followed at the Apollo Theater, Juilliard, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, many of them documented in widely circulated videos that highlighted his command of the instrument. Capitalizing on this visibility, he issued his debut album, the Jason Olaine-produced My Favorite Things, on Motema Music in 2015. Cut when he was only eleven, the record featured bassists Larry Grenadier and Russell Hall, drummers Sammy Miller and Ulysses Owens, Jr., and trumpeter Alphonso Horne across eight standards and one original composition; it topped the jazz albums chart and reached number 59 on the Billboard 200 while earning Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo.
The following year Alexander again led the Billboard Jazz Albums chart with his sophomore effort Countdown. Also produced by Jason Olaine, the album included bassist Grenadier, drummer Owens, and saxophonist Chris Potter; his treatment of the John Coltrane-penned title track brought a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Later in 2017 he released the live recording Joey.Monk.Live! to mark Thelonious Monk’s centennial.
His third studio album, Eclipse, appeared in 2018 and peaked at number three on the jazz chart. Captured across three days that began on the date of the 2017 solar eclipse, the sessions featured bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, with saxophonist Joshua Redman as a guest; that same year Alexander issued the holiday EP A Joey Alexander Christmas. In 2020 he made his major-label bow on Verve with Warna, again showcasing the trio of Grenadier and Kendrick Scott while adding Venezuelan-born percussionist Luisito Quintero and flutist Anne Drummond on several tracks; the release became his fifth to reach the jazz Top 20. With 2022’s Origin on Mack Avenue, Alexander enlarged the same trio by adding saxophonist Chris Potter and guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and on 2023’s Continuance he further explored new textures by playing Fender Rhodes and Mellotron in addition to piano, once more with trumpeter Theo Croker appearing.
Born Josiah Alexander Sila in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia in 2003, Alexander received his earliest musical exposure from his father, an amateur musician and dedicated jazz enthusiast. By the age of six he had already taught himself piano through repeated listening to recordings by Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, and others. Lacking formal instruction and initially limited to a small keyboard supplied by his father, he reached a striking level of skill; by age eight he was sitting in with local professionals. In 2012 he performed for Herbie Hancock during the pianist’s visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, in his capacity as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and the next year he took first place at the Master Jam-Fest in Odessa, Ukraine.
Alexander moved with his family to New York City in 2014, where Wynton Marsalis invited him to appear at a Jazz at Lincoln Center gala. Additional prominent engagements soon followed at the Apollo Theater, Juilliard, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, many of them documented in widely circulated videos that highlighted his command of the instrument. Capitalizing on this visibility, he issued his debut album, the Jason Olaine-produced My Favorite Things, on Motema Music in 2015. Cut when he was only eleven, the record featured bassists Larry Grenadier and Russell Hall, drummers Sammy Miller and Ulysses Owens, Jr., and trumpeter Alphonso Horne across eight standards and one original composition; it topped the jazz albums chart and reached number 59 on the Billboard 200 while earning Grammy nominations for Best Instrumental Jazz Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo.
The following year Alexander again led the Billboard Jazz Albums chart with his sophomore effort Countdown. Also produced by Jason Olaine, the album included bassist Grenadier, drummer Owens, and saxophonist Chris Potter; his treatment of the John Coltrane-penned title track brought a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Later in 2017 he released the live recording Joey.Monk.Live! to mark Thelonious Monk’s centennial.
His third studio album, Eclipse, appeared in 2018 and peaked at number three on the jazz chart. Captured across three days that began on the date of the 2017 solar eclipse, the sessions featured bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland, with saxophonist Joshua Redman as a guest; that same year Alexander issued the holiday EP A Joey Alexander Christmas. In 2020 he made his major-label bow on Verve with Warna, again showcasing the trio of Grenadier and Kendrick Scott while adding Venezuelan-born percussionist Luisito Quintero and flutist Anne Drummond on several tracks; the release became his fifth to reach the jazz Top 20. With 2022’s Origin on Mack Avenue, Alexander enlarged the same trio by adding saxophonist Chris Potter and guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and on 2023’s Continuance he further explored new textures by playing Fender Rhodes and Mellotron in addition to piano, once more with trumpeter Theo Croker appearing.
Albums
Warna
2020
In a Sentimental Mood (Bonus Collection)
2019
A Joey Alexander Christmas
2018
Eclipse
2018
Joey. Monk. Live!
2017
Countdown
2016
My Favorite Things
2015
Singles
