He is not comfortable with the constant reference to being a genius or prodigy, saying, “I just want people to dig my music. “I watch movies and play sports-a little tennis, swimming, like a normal kid.” Through it all, Joey has remained humble, focused on developing as a player and pursuing his growing interest in composing. “Jazz is hard work,” he says, “and you really have to work at it, but you also should have fun performing.” A devout Christian who is homeschooled, his daily routine involves alternating between bible study and three hours of practice on the piano. Joey clearly loves and respects his art form. Born in Bali, Indonesia, he made his U.S. Jazz at Lincoln Center has expressed interest in incorporating him into its educational outreach efforts, hoping to encourage young people to listen to jazz music. When the Little Jazz Man profile on the remarkable virtuoso aired in 2016, Alexander was only 12 years old. He arranged all the songs in the album, which included renditions of “Round Midnight,” Coltrane’s “Giant Steps,” and Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life,” plus an original composition called “Ma Blues.” Producer George Wein, who is normally reluctant to sign child prodigies, made an exception with Joey and booked him for the 2015 Newport Jazz Festival, where he received standing ovations for his performance. Joey and his family moved to New York City in 2014.”Īlexander’s debut album, My Favorite Things, was released in May of 2015 when he was 11. Hancock told Alexander he believed in him, and Joey later described that as ‘the day I decided to dedicate my childhood to jazz.’ At age nine, he won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Master-Jam Fest, an all-ages jazz competition in Odessa, Ukraine, which included 43 musicians from 17 nations. Alexander played for Herbie Hancock at age eight when the pianist was visiting Jakarta as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador. “Due to the unavailability of formal jazz training where he grew up, Alexander began playing in jam sessions with experienced musicians in Bali and Jakarta, where his family moved after disbanding their tourism business so their son could be near Indonesia’s top jazz musicians. Joey said learning the instrument came naturally for him and considers his ability ‘a gift from God.’ Alexander considers Monk, John Coltrane, Harry Connick, Jr., Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock among his main musical influences and also admires Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Horace Silver, and McCoy Tyner.” Acclaimed as a child prodigy, Indonesian jazz pianist Joey Alexander amazed the audience at the Lincoln Center when he performed there in 2014 after he had. By age 6, he had taught himself to play the piano using a miniature electric keyboard and learning by ear to play compositions such as Monk’s ‘Well, You Needn’t’ and other songs from his father’s jazz collection. “Joey learned about jazz by listening to classic albums his father gave him. He became the first Indonesian musician to chart on Billboard 200 when his album, My Favorite Things, debuted at number 174 and then peaked at 59. His father was an amateur musician, and both parents were jazz fans, particularly the works of Louis Armstrong.” Josiah Alexander Sila 1 (born 25 June 2003), 2 better known as Joey Alexander, is an Indonesian jazz pianist. He is the youngest performer ever to be nominated for a Grammy music award He’s played at the White House, Lincoln Center, NYC Town Hall, and the youngest person to ever take the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival His debut album, My Favorite Things, hit #1 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart CBS 60 Minutes ran a 13-minute profile on Joey, and he jammed with NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt when he appeared on the Today show TIME Magazine ran a feature that referred to him as a “Next Generation Leader” and “Master of the Keys.”Īccording to an edited version of his Wikipedia bio, “Josiah Alexander Sila was born in the city of Denpasar in Bali, Indonesia to parents Denny Sila and Farah Leonora Urbach, who ran an adventure tourism business. Positive and enthusiastic reviews followed his performance, particularly for his solo version of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.” The New York Times called him an “overnight sensation,” and Down Beat magazine wrote: “If the word ‘genius’ still means anything, it applies to this prodigy.”įor one so young, but who plays like a veteran, just consider: He quickly invited him to appear at a JLC gala, marking Joey’s United States debut. This 11-year-old piano prodigy will blow you away CNN 14.5M subscribers 310 Share Save 45K views 7 years ago AsJoey Alexander's talents are so massive, jazz legends Wynton Marsalis and Herbie. If (slot) slot.addService(googletag.Marsalis learned about Alexander after a friend suggested he watch a YouTube video clip of the then-10-year-old playing compositions by Coltrane, Monk, and Chick Corea. (function (a, d, o, r, i, c, u, p, w, m) Happy accidents - Israel Culture - The Jerusalem Post
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