JAMAICAN JAZZ GREAT MONTY ALEXANDER GETS A SOUL TRAIN MUSIC AWARD NOMINATION!

By Kevin Jackson— 

 Monty Alexander—

PIANIST Monty Alexander, whose career started as a session musician at Studio One over 50 years ago, has been nominated for a 2014 Soul Train Music Award.

The Kingston-born Alexander’s album, Concierto de Aranjuez, is up against albums by Kenny Garrett, Audra McDonald, Wynton Marsalis and Gregory Porter for Best Traditional Jazz Performance.

It is the first Soul Train nod for 70-year-old Alexander, who has worked with greats such as Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. In recent times, he has worked with contemporary reggae artists such as Chronixx.

Soca star Machel Montano, multiple Grammy winner Ziggy Marley and dancehall star Shaggy compete in the category, Best International Performance, formerly known as Best Reggae Act and Best Caribbean Performance.

Marley has been nominated for the track I Don’t Want to Live on Mars, from his fifth solo albumm Fly Rasta.

Shaggy is up for the single You Girl (which features R&B singer Ne-Yo) which is featured on his album, Out of Many, One Music.

Shaggy & Ne-Yo

Montano is banking on his carnival hit Ministry of Road to become the second Trinidadian to win a Soul Train award. Last year, Bunji Garlin’s Differentology won Best International Performance.

The other nominees in this category are British soul singer Sam Smith (Stay with Me), Norwegian singer/songwriter duo Nico & Vinz (Am I Wrong), and Nigerian artiste Davido for Aye.

The Soul Train Music Awards have been held annually since 1987. It takes place November 7 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and airs November 30 on Centric and BET.