Ramon Alexander - new to this but very ready.

My experience of - RAMON ALEXANDER –

Ramon Alexander in the studio April 2018. (c) P Lee-Thorp

I know Ramon because Jack Momple introduced him to me as a possible keyboard player to record some tracks for the 4thedition of an album series in 2012. Jack and Robbie Jansen had played with him at various live gigs in and around Cape Town.

I actually got to know him at Lionel Temmers' small holding outside Atlantis, W Cape, where Jack had his house and where the first rehearsals for the recordings of our 4th edition of this album series took place. When we met there was Errol Dyers on guitar, Stephen Erasmus on bass, Jack on drums and Ramon on keyboards. I liked what I heard and approached him to come to the studio to contribute to the Cape Jazz Band album.

Previously Ramon had sent his debut CD, Picnic at Kontiki to me and we first met briefly in Glenn Robertson's club in Claremont. I had liked the album and particularly liked the Cape influenced tracks.

Over the period of the work for the record, which was eventually called, Musical Democracy, I became more aware of his talent as a composer and pianist. He ended up being featured on most of the songs on the album and we started doing some publishing business together.

Since the release of Musical Democracy we have stayed in touch, including him performing live gigs I booked for the group. When the idea of the 5thedition of the series came to me, Ramon's name was one of the new generation of players to be included. He had been working with Ebrahim Shahib whom I had approached to contribute to the recordings. It was Ramon who actually twisted Ebrahim's arm to participate in the solo piano album.

Although Ramon admits that he is new to arranging for solo piano, he nevertheless prepared for the recordings, and according to plan he contributed 2 great tracks to the 5th edition - Cape Jazz Piano.

Ramon is qualified wine maker and a music teacher from Mamre, W Cape.

https://www.ramon-alexander.com

Paddy Lee-Thorp
Mountain Records


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