Reggae Pianist Showcases His Devotion to Marley

Pianist Monty Alexander took time at the Jazz Bakery on Friday to tell the audience of his affinity for reggae legend Bob Marley, a connection that resulted in Alexander’s recent album of Marley songs. Alexander, born in Jamaica a year before Marley, expressed his admiration for his countryman’s musical and spiritual gifts, comparing him to Gandhi, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and others.

Sadly, such strong devotion doesn’t always translate into equally strong art, as the recording, “Stir It Up: The Music of Bob Marley,” proves. On the disc, the celebrated pianist seems restrained by the locked-in reggae beats and a cliched Jamaican ensemble sound.

Opening a three-day run, Alexander gave a better accounting of his feelings on the Bakery bandstand. Working with a jazz rhythm section of guitarist Derek DiCenzo, bassist Hassan J.J. Wiggins Shakur and drummer Troy Davis (they appear on the album as well), the pianist seemed more at ease with Marley’s often-stirring melodies and found more time to improvise. He took liberties with the music, slipping easily between reggae and jazz rhythms on a number of the tunes, and his trio was crisp and spritely in support. In short, he seemed to have taken Marley’s advice to “Lively Up Yourself.”

Alexander, who cuts a dashing figure at the keyboard, sprinkled “Jammin,’ ” “Runnin’ Away,” “No Woman No Cry” and other Marley songs with his usual dramatic sense of accent and flourish while creating harmonic blends as lush and steamy as the tropics. Guitarist DiCenzo moved to steel pan drums on some of the tunes, adding additional exotic flair. On Alexander’s own “Nesta (He Touched the Sky)”--Marley’s full name was Nesta Robert Marley--and his solo piano rendition of “Redemption Song,” the pianist developed all the depth and emotion that his current album promises but somehow doesn’t deliver.