Thirteen Year Old Two-time Grammy Nominated Jazz Prodigy Joey Alexander to Perform at St. Cecilia Music Center

Thirteen year old world-class jazz artist Joey Alexander will have the audience at St. Cecilia Music Center in awe during his debut appearance in Grand Rapids on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 7:30pm. Wynton Marsalis says of Joey, "There has never been anyone that you can think of who could play like that at his age. I love everything about his playing - his rhythm, his confidence, his understanding of the music."

St. Cecilia Music Center Executive Director Cathy Holbrook says, "If there is one concert that will inspire you and your children, it will be this concert. Joey Alexander will leave you spellbound and forever changed in your perception of what is possible through the power of music."

Concert tickets are $38 and $43 and can be purchased by calling St. Cecilia Music Center at 616-459-2224 or visiting the box office at 24 Ransom Ave. NE. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.scmc-online.org. A post-concert "Meet-the-artist" reception is open to all ticket-holders giving the audience the opportunity to meet Joey Alexander and obtain signed CDs of him releases. There will also be a pre-concert reception offered with wine and hors d'oeuvres for $15 per person.

Joey Alexander, the youngest jazz artist to have ever been nominated for a Grammy award, garnered two Grammy Award nominations in 2015 for his 2015 debut album My Favorite Things released by Motema Music. The Grammy nominations included "Best Jazz Instrumental Album" and "Best Improvised Solo" for his performance on the album of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps".

His performances on the 58th Annual Grammy Awards broadcast in 2016 - far more magical than what was expected - received standing ovations from the star-studded audience, bringing his talent to the attention of music lovers everywhere, mesmerizing long-time industry professionals, and inspiring other young musicians to pursue their own dreams.

Media interest in Joey has resulted in appearances and interviews for The Today Show, 60 Minutes, CNN, The New York Times, and a host of other television, radio and print media. This has fueled a rare level of public notoriety for Joey as a jazz musician, entirely unheard of for one his age, both within the jazz community and among the public at large.

St. Cecilia Music Center's Jazz Series is known for bringing internationally known jazz musicians - both up and coming as well as jazz legends - to Grand Rapids. The SCMC Jazz Series gives jazz lovers the opportunity to hear these artists up close and personal without having to travel outside of the area to hear them, and introduces West Michigan music lovers to the best jazz musicians in the world.

The final jazz concert in the series will take place on May 4, 2017 with super group SFJAZZ Collective from San Francisco featuring Miguel Zenon, Alto Saxophone; David Sanchez, tenor saxophone; Sean Jones, trumpet; Robin Eubank, trombone; Warren Wolf, vibraphone; Edward Simon, piano, Matt Penman, bass and Obed Calvaire, drums performing the music of MiLes Davis and original compositions. An all-star ensemble comprising eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today, the SFJAZZ Collective's mission each year is to perform fresh arrangements of works by a modern master and newly commissioned pieces by each Collective member.