Joey Alexander facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joey Alexander
Alexander in 2017
Background information
Birth name	Josiah Alexander Sila
Born	(2003-06-25) 25 June 2003 (age 22) Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Piano
Years active	2012–present
Labels	Motéma, Verve, Mack Avenue Records

Josiah Alexander Sila (born on June 25, 2003), known as Joey Alexander, is an amazing jazz pianist from Indonesia. He made history as the first Indonesian musician to play at the Grammy Awards. His album My Favorite Things also became popular on the Billboard 200 music chart.

Many people see Joey as a wunderkind, which means a child who is very talented at a young age. His father taught him a lot about jazz piano. When he was only nine years old, he won a big music competition called the Master-Jam Fest in 2013.

In 2014, famous jazz musician Wynton Marsalis invited Joey to play at Jazz at Lincoln Center. His first album, My Favorite Things, came out in 2015 when he was 11. Joey has also performed at major music events like the Montreal and Newport Jazz Festivals. He has even played for important people like Herbie Hancock, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.

Early Life and Musical Start

Joey Alexander was born in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. His parents, Denny Sila and Farah Leonora Urbach, loved jazz music, especially Louis Armstrong. Joey's father was also a musician.

Joey learned about jazz by listening to classic albums his dad gave him. By age six, he taught himself to play the piano. He used a small electric keyboard and learned songs just by listening to them. He felt that playing music came naturally to him, like a special gift. He looks up to many jazz legends, including John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis.

There weren't many jazz schools in his hometown. So, Joey went to jam sessions in Bali and Jakarta. His family even moved to Jakarta so he could be closer to top jazz musicians in Indonesia. When he was eight, he played for Herbie Hancock when Hancock visited Jakarta. Hancock told Joey he believed in him. Joey later said that moment made him decide to dedicate his childhood to jazz.

At nine years old, Joey won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Master-Jam Fest. This was a jazz competition in Ukraine for all ages. It had 43 musicians from 17 different countries! In 2014, Joey and his family moved to New York City to help him follow his music dreams.

Becoming a Jazz Star

Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis found out about Joey after seeing a video of him playing. Marsalis was amazed and invited Joey to play at a special event in May 2014. Joey was only 10 years old, and this was his first time performing in the United States.

People loved his performance, especially when he played a solo version of the song "'Round Midnight". The New York Times newspaper said he became famous overnight. Marsalis said that no one his age had ever played like that before. He loved Joey's rhythm and confidence.

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, the wife of tennis player Arthur Ashe, also invited Joey to perform. He played for a crowd that included former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Joey's performances quickly gained attention. A video of him playing at the University of the District of Columbia went viral online, getting over 500,000 views!

Joey also played a concert with students from the Juilliard School. The money from this concert helped him stay in New York City. This concert even got attention on NBC News. It helped him get a special visa for people with "extraordinary ability." In 2014, he also played at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and the International Java Jazz Festival.

First Album and Grammy Nominations

Joey Alexander's first album, My Favorite Things, came out on May 12, 2015. He was 11 years old. He arranged all the songs on the album himself. It included famous jazz tunes like "Giant Steps" and "Lush Life". The album also had an original song by Joey called "Ma Blues."

In 2015, Joey performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival. The Newport producer, George Wein, usually didn't sign child prodigies. But he made an exception for Joey after hearing him play. Wein said Joey showed a very mature way of understanding music.

In February 2016, Joey was nominated for two Grammy Awards! These were for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (for My Favorite Things) and Best Improvised Jazz Solo (for "Giant Steps"). He even performed live at the Grammy Awards ceremony.

Later Albums and Performances

In September 2016, Joey released his second album, Countdown. It was named after a song by John Coltrane. His third album, Joey. Monk. Live!, came out in September 2017. This album featured seven songs by Thelonious Monk that were recorded live. His fourth album, Eclipse, was released in May 2018.

On August 18, 2018, Joey Alexander performed at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. This was a huge event watched by many people.

In 2020, Joey released his fifth album, Warna. His sixth album, Origin, came out on May 20, 2022. Origin was special because it was Joey's first album with only his own original songs. He worked with talented musicians like Kendrick Scott and Larry Grenadier on this album. His most recent album, Continuance, was released in 2023.

Discography

As leader

• My Favorite Things (Motéma, 2015)
• Countdown (Motéma, 2016)
• Joey.Monk.Live! (Motéma, 2017)
• Eclipse (Motéma, 2018)
• Warna (Verve, 2020)
• Origin (Mack Avenue, 2022)
• Continuance (Mack Avenue, 2023)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Panasonic Gobel Awards

Anugerah Musik Indonesia

Libera Awards

Images for kids

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  Alexander in 2017