Alex Otey facts for kids

Alex Otey, born in 1959, is a talented musician from the United States. He is a singer, songwriter, producer, pianist, and trumpet player. He has performed with famous jazz artists like Richie Cole and Lew Soloff. He even recorded with Grover Washington Jr. on his 1979 album, Skylarking.

Alex has produced and helped write five albums for children's singer Miss Amy. He released these albums through his own company, Ionian Productions. Two of these albums were nominated for a Grammy Award. Fitness Rock & Roll was nominated in 2011. Healthy Food For Thought: Good Enough To Eat was nominated the year before. He also worked on All About Bullies... Big And Small, which won a Grammy in 2012.

He often performs with Miss Amy & Her Big Kids Band. In 2013, he released an album called Angels Riding Shotgun with his Americana rock band, Off the Map. Alex Otey also performs jazz music by himself and with The Alex Otey Trio.

Early Life and Music Start

Alex V. Otey was born in 1959 in the United States. His mother is Pat Wood. His father, Orlando Otey, was a Mexican-American concert pianist and composer. Alex grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. His father was in charge of the Wilmington Music School. This helped Alex get early music lessons. He started learning classical trumpet and percussion at age seven.

As a teenager, Alex began playing piano and singing. He performed with the Wilmington Symphony. He also entered music contests in his area. He studied trumpet with Seymor Rosenfeld. Seymor was a musician in the Philadelphia Orchestra.

In high school, Alex started playing piano and singing songs like a "piano man." He says artists like Billy Joel and Elton John influenced his style. He also learned from Harry Connick Jr., Frank Sinatra's songs, jazz standards, and hits from the Beatles, Van Morrison, and Sting. He finished high school at Friends' Central School in Philadelphia in 1978.

When he was a teenager and young adult, Alex formed jazz groups. One group was the APO Jazz Trio. They played music around Philadelphia. He performed with jazz musicians like Richie Cole and Lew Soloff. He also recorded with Grover Washington Jr. on his 1979 album, Skylarking. In 1984, Alex graduated from Drexel University in Philadelphia. He studied Physics and Atmospheric Science. He has also worked as a computer engineer.

Music Career Highlights

Working with Miss Amy

Alex Otey met his wife, Miss Amy, who is also a singer-songwriter. They started playing music together in jazz, folk, and rock bands. After their son was born in the mid-1990s, they moved to New Jersey. Miss Amy then started making music for children. Her songs often helped kids move and exercise.

Alex produced, co-wrote, and helped arrange Miss Amy's first album, Swimming. He plays trumpet, keyboard, and sings backup vocals in Miss Amy & Her Big Kids Band. This band started in 2004. Alex and the band performed at the White House Egg Roll event in 2010. Other performers there included Justin Bieber and the cast of Glee. They also performed as the main act at Kidstock 2010.

Since 2004, Alex has produced five albums with Miss Amy. For example, on the 2011 album Miss Amy's Fitness Rock and Roll, he helped with arranging, engineering, and production. He also played keyboard and trumpet and sang backup. This album mixed jazz, rock, pop, Broadway, and lullabies.

Fitness Rock & Roll was released on Alex's own label, Ionian Productions. In November 2011, the album was nominated for a 54th Grammy Award. It was in the "Best Children's Album" category. That same year, Alex also contributed the song "Keep Your Chin Up" to the Grammy-winning album All About Bullies... Big And Small.

Ionian Productions

Alex Otey is the person who started and leads Ionian Productions. This company produces audio and video. They have released albums like A Gift To Be Free and albums by Miss Amy. They also released The Chopin of Mexico Plays Chopin 1&2. Other artists on their label include Leonardo Le San, Sue Tally, Pedro Ledezma, and Leticia Gómez-Tagle.

In August 2012, Ionian Productions released Tenochtitlan 1325. This album features piano pieces written by Alex's father, Orlando Otey. The album was well-received. Critics said Orlando Otey played with great skill and passion. His music showed real talent and mixed different influences well.

Recent Music Projects

Alex Otey still performs by himself in central New Jersey and Philadelphia. He also plays with bands from West Trenton. One of these is the Americana and rock group Off The Map. Alex formed this band with the same musicians from Miss Amy The Big Kids Band. Their first album, Angels Riding Shotgun, was produced by Alex. It was released on Ionian Productions. Alex also plays classic songs, pop, and jazz with The Alex Otey Trio. He performs at events with The Wild Rice Band too.

Discography

Album Contributions

Compilations

• WXPN Kids Corner 20th Anniversary Compilation (2008)
• Wildflower Compilation (2010)
• Healthy Food For Thought, Good Enough to Eat (2010)
• All About Bullies... Big And Small Compilation (2011)
• Move This World (2013)

Grammy Awards

See also

• Miss Amy