An extraordinary and uniquely gifted pianist born in Bali, Joey Alexander Sila or better known as marks his recording debut this week with the release of debut album called “My Favorite Things”, released by recording studio Motéma Music. Through this album, Joey will brings a delicate, profound yet soulful touch to his own interpretation of such classics as “My Favorite Things”, “Giant Steps” and “Over the Rainbow” to showcases his talents as an arranger, composer, and bandleader. Joey unlike the rest of musician you heard today is only a little over a decade old which means that he is an eleven year old jazz piano prodigy. In many ways, he is far ahead of the curve when it comes to jazz music. At the tender age of eleven, he is considered one of the rising stars of the international jazz scene and one of the genre’s most promising performers to come around in a long time. Something that we can be proud of as being Indonesian!
Joey Alexander himself showed his natural talent and aptitude for jazz music after listening to “Thelonious Monk” albums that owned by his father. He picking out the tunes on an electric mini keyboard without any training, and his father who is an amateur pianist taught him some basics. He soon later began jamming with some of local jazz musicians and his skills grow exponentially. The young musician quickly gained recognition, and at the age of eight, Joey was given the honor of playing for jazz piano legend Herbie Hancock at an event in Jakarta, Indonesia. Aside from it, he also got a special invitation from Jazz luminary Wynton Marsalis who is the director of Jazz at New York’s Lincoln Center. His performance at the Big Apple made his a star in the jazz world, and he quickly gained the support of some of most-talented musicians from New York. The US Government also granted him and his family an O-1 visa, a thing that is known for its specialty, visa for individuals with extraordinary ability. For those of you who are willing to know more about and his musical talent, feel free to visit his official Facebook fan page.