A Jamarican in Paris Monty Alexander 2026 CD PW1022

1. Marcus Garvey   6:07
2. Look Up   6:12
3. Hope   7:29
4. Skamento   4:24
5. You Make Me Feel Brand New   4:17
6. Come Fly With Me   3:57
7. Sketches of Aranjuez   6:21
8. Yellow Bird   5:04
9. Mystical Blues   5:58
10. What’s Going On   5:16
11. Just Wait   4:30
12. Sextan Bucket   4:30

special guest : Stéphane Édouard · percussions

When Monty Alexander walked into Studio Sextan on December 7, 2025 - a place he was already familiar with - he brought with him his entire incredible musical history. In a state of deep concentration and readiness, he settles in confidently at a familiar piano, alongside drummer Jason Brown and double bassist Luke Sellick with whom he forms perhaps the most intimate trio he has ever had. He has also invited, especially for this session, his longtime collaborator Bobby Thomas Jr., a percussionist of great style whose countless contributions have marked the history of jazz over the past forty years.

Seated in hyper-proximity in the studio - a concept he shares with his closest colleague, Ahmad Jamal - this unique quartet is ready to breathe, vibrate, and modulate as a single breath. Without a moment’s hesitation, without a single cue, without a word, the music emerges like a rough diamond that has been in the making for so long that its origins are lost in time. Like other brilliant self-taught musicians, Monty Alexander’s memory is vast, extraordinary. It plays the most surprising tricks on him, leading him down ever-renewed paths of inspiration. He draws from this vast repertoire, in the moment, the desire to revisit the melodies that fundamentally define him. We are at the very heart of a process unique to the great creations of jazz.

Three days of sessions, punctuated by long stretches of uninterrupted music, like simple, joyful ceremonies centered around what might also be called “The Great Monty Alexander Song Book.”
Deeply rooted in the tradition of jazz on the one hand and Caribbean music on the other, Monty Alexander innovates tirelessly and with fearless creativity to reinterpret his own musical journey and expand the areas of dialogue between genres. A wide range of expressions - blues, gospel, bebop, calypso, and reggae - which he handles as if they were his native tongues. A sparkling groove, a unique sense of melody, romantic digressions, a variety of moods and textures, abrupt shifts in style, explosive bursts of energy, more introspective passages... In an almost telepathic rapport with the strong personalities of Jason Brown, Luke Sellick and Bobby Thomas Jr., Monty Alexander plays whatever comes to mind with wild abandon.

A Jamarican in Paris captures the intense atmosphere of that remarkable session. Following those days of great harmony, Monty Alexander and Vincent Mahey meticulously selected a collection of “songs” that highlight this unique Jamaican-American dual identity more effectively than ever before.

Produced by Monty Alexander and Vincent Mahey
Recording, editing, and mixing: Vincent Mahey
General coordination: Caterina Zapponi
Executive producer: Virginie Crouail

Recorded on December 8-9-10, 2025, at Studio Sextan A
Assistants: Tristan Barège and Valentin Moricet
Mixed in February 2026 at Studio Sextan C
Mastering: Raphaël Jonin J RAPH i.n.g

Graphic design: Atelier Bagarit
Photos: Jean-Baptiste Millot
Videos: Igor Juget