Biography
Joey Alexander, born Josiah Alexander Sila on June 25, 2003, in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, discovered the piano at age six by picking out jazz melodies like Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t” from his father’s record collection by ear. His father, an amateur musician, mentored him early on, introducing classic jazz recordings and taking him to jam sessions in Bali and Jakarta, fostering his swing and improvisation skills without formal training. Early influences included Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and trumpet players like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis[1][2].
At age eight, UNESCO invited him to perform for Herbie Hancock in Indonesia, whose encouragement inspired Alexander to dedicate his life to jazz; he later won the Grand Prix at the 2013 Master-Jam Fest in Ukraine at age nine, besting professionals from 17 countries. In 2014, at Wynton Marsalis's invitation, he performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center galas in New York, leading his family to relocate there. His debut album My Favorite Things (2015, Motéma Music), released at age 11, featured his arrangements of standards like “Giant Steps” and charted on Billboard 200, earning Grammy nominations; he became the first Indonesian to perform at the Grammys[2][6]. Subsequent albums like Countdown (2016) continued his rise, blending hard-bop with adventurous improvisation[2][3].
Now based in New York, Alexander has performed for figures like Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and at major festivals including Newport and Montreal. His style evokes 1950s hard-bop with dynamic phrasing, authoritative technique, and emotional depth, earning praise as a wunderkind who has matured into a composer of fertile imagination, with seven leader albums and three Grammy nominations[1][4][6].
Fun Facts
- First Indonesian musician to perform at the Grammy Awards and chart on Billboard 200 with My Favorite Things peaking at No. 59[2].
- At age 10, won international improvisation contest in Odessa, Ukraine, beating over 200 jazz professionals from 17 countries[1][2].
- Performed for U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, and was profiled on 60 Minutes and the front page of The New York Times[2][5].
- Championed by Quincy Jones alongside Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis as a teen prodigy[7].
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Father (unnamed) - Primary early mentor in jazz piano (Introduced jazz records and jam sessions) [2009-2013]
- Herbie Hancock - Inspired during UNESCO solo performance (Performance in Indonesia) [2011]
- Wynton Marsalis - Invited to perform and championed career (Jazz at Lincoln Center galas) [2014 onward]
Key Collaborators
- Dan Chmielinski - Trio bassist (Countdown album) [2016]
- Ulysses Owens - Trio drummer (Countdown album) [2016]
- Larry Grenadier - Guest bassist (Countdown album) [2016]
- Chris Potter - Guest saxophonist (Countdown album) [2016]
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Continuance | 2023-11-03 | Album |
| Origin | 2022-05-20 | Album |
| Eclipse | 2018-05-04 | Album |
| Eclipse | 2018-05-04 | Album |
| Countdown | 2016-09-09 | Album |
| Warna | 2020-01-31 | Album |
| Countdown | 2016-09-16 | Album |
| Eclipse | 2018-06-29 | Album |
| Countdown | 2016-11-23 | Album |
| My Favorite Things | 2015-05-12 | Album |
| My Favorite Things | 2015-12-05 | Album |
| In a Sentimental Mood (Bonus Collection) | 2019-11-01 | Album |
| My Favorite Things | 2016-04-29 | Album |
| In a Sentimental Mood (Bonus Collection) | 2019-11-01 | Album |
Top Tracks
- I Can’t Make You Love Me (Continuance)
- Hesitation (Origin)
- Draw Me Nearer (Eclipse)
- Draw Me Nearer (Eclipse)
- Midnight Waves (Origin)
- For Wee Folks (Countdown)
- JoEys song ༼つ ◕_◕ ༽つ (hella (˃̣̣̥╭╮˂̣̣̥) ✧ ♡ ‧º·˚)
- Draw Me Nearer (Eclipse)
- For Wee Folks (Countdown)
- Promise of Spring (Origin)
External Links
Tags: #jazz, #post-bop
References
Heard on WWOZ
Joey Alexander has been played 3 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 2025 | 06:19 | Peacefrom Eclipse | The Morning Setw/ Scott Borne | |
| Dec 19, 2025 | 07:54 | Winter Bluesfrom Origin | The Morning Setw/ Dave Dauterive | |
| Sep 29, 2025 | 23:41 | I Wanna Know | Kitchen Sinkw/ Derrick Freeman |