Jamaican Jazz Legend Monty Alexander Receives France’s Order of Arts and Letters Honor 

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Oct 27, 2026: Award-winning Jamaican-born jazz pianist Dr. Monty Alexander has added another title to his lengthy resume: France’s prestigious Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters distinction. The honor adds a major international cultural honor to a career spanning more than six decades of bringing Jamaican music and American jazz to audiences worldwide.

Alexander received the honor on October 6, 2026, at the celebrated New Morning jazz club in Paris, during a concert engagement marking the release of his latest album, A Jamarican in Paris. Released October 2, 2026, on CD and vinyl through PeeWee! Records, the album was recorded at Studio Sextan with drummer Jason Brown, bassist Luke Sellick, and percussionist Bobby Thomas Jr. Its repertoire brings together Alexander’s Jamaican roots and American jazz influences, with selections including “Marcus Garvey / So What,” “Come Fly With Me” and “What’s Going On.”

Established in 1957 and administered by France’s Ministry of Culture, the Order of Arts and Letters recognizes distinguished artistic and literary achievement and contributions to the influence of arts and letters in France and around the world. Officer is one of the order’s three grades, alongside Knight and Commander.

For Alexander, the recognition marks another milestone in a journey that began in Kingston, Jamaica, where he played piano by ear as a young child and was performing in local clubs by his teens. His early recording work placed him within Jamaica’s emerging popular music scene, before his move to the United States opened a new chapter on the international jazz stage.

In 1963, Frank Sinatra gave Alexander the opportunity to come to New York and perform at Jilly’s, the famed nightclub owned by Sinatra’s friend Jilly Rizzo. Those formative years, followed by collaborations with artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson and Sonny Rollins, helped shape Alexander’s distinctive musical voice, rooted in swing, improvisation and the rhythms of his homeland.

His performances bring jazz, blues, ska, reggae and the American songbook into conversation, reflecting a lifelong commitment to musical discovery across cultures.

Audiences will have the opportunity to experience Alexander’s artistry at five upcoming engagements:

• November 5-8, 2026 – Chicago, Illinois: Monty Alexander performs at Jazz Showcase, featuring Lorin Cohen on bass and Neal Smith on drums. Tickets and showtimes.

• November 22, 2026 – Kean University, New Jersey: “Jamaican Jazz Legend Monty Alexander,” introducing guitarist Marel Hidalgo, at Enlow Recital Hall, 3 p.m. Tickets and details.
• December 10, 2026 – Cambridge, Massachusetts: “Monty Alexander: Jamaica to Jazz,” presented by Global Arts Live at Takeda Theater at The Platform, 7:30 p.m. Tickets and details.
• December 13, 2026 – Toronto, Canada: A special holiday concert at The Creative School Chrysalis at Toronto Metropolitan University, presented by Small World Music as part of Borderless Jazz 2026, 8 p.m. Tickets and details.
• December 26–31, 2026 – Washington, D.C.: Alexander returns to Blues Alley in Georgetown for his annual holiday engagement, bringing his signature blend of Jamaican rhythms and jazz to audiences through New Year’s Eve. Ticket details are coming soon.

All performance times are local.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, on June 6, 1944, Monty Alexander is a Grammy-nominated pianist whose career bridges Jamaican musical traditions and American jazz. His work is documented on more than 75 recordings, including the Grammy-nominated Harlem Kingston Express: Live! He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival 23 times since 1976.

His honors include Jamaica’s Commander in the Order of Distinction, awarded in 2000; an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies in 2018; and the Order of Jamaica in 2022. In October 2026, he received France’s Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters distinction.

For more information, visit www.montyalexander.com.