Monty Alexander recalls hanging with Frank, Jilly & Miles

Pianist Monty Alexander's chance encounter with Frank Sinatra in Miami led to a career-changing stint at Jilly's night club in NYC.

Writes Monty Alexander...

My family moved to Miami, Florida in 1961. The following year when I was playing at Le Bi', a Miami Beach nightclub, Frank Sinatra stopped by with his good friend Ermenigildo "Jilly" Rizzo. Rizzo owned his own club #Jilly's at 256 W. 52nd Street in NYC. It was Sinatra's primary hangout in Manhattan. Sinatra and friends were impressed and there was talk of bringing me to New York to play at Jilly's but nothing came off of that first interlude.

However, six months later in Reno, Nevada, lightning struck twice as the same chance encounter with Jilly and Frank Sinatra took place when I was playing at the Thunderbird Hotel, but this time, just a few days later, Jilly bought me an airline ticket and the next night I was a regular piano player, playing for a who's who of entertainers and musicians. 

I was nervous, but I had a great bass player, Bob Cranshaw. I don’t read music so I have to use my ears. I knew the songs of Sinatra such as "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" and "I Get a Kick Out of You", but Bob was leaning over and saying: ‘G, D, B flat’, and I pulled it off because I’m instinctive. All I know is Sinatra turned around with a big smile. That was it. He was one of those people who inspire you, he would come over and say things like: ‘Keep swinging kid’ or ‘You’re swinging’ or ‘ You’re grooving’.

I met Miles Davis at Jilly’s. Miles dug my playing and he had me come over to his place and hang out. It taught me confidence because half of the stuff is being confident so that when you play ‘that’ note on the piano or trumpet, it’s the right note, not another note, but ‘that’ note, which comes only from a sense of security, and it really helps when your heroes tell you to ‘keep going’."

At that time I thought life would end, because it couldn’t get better than this. I realized I was in very fast company. Not just in jazz, but in all the top entertainers in show business. Judy Garland is sitting at the piano bar. I look around and Sammy Davis Jr  is walking in. I played at private events at Frank Sinatra's apartment. He was a good friend. That crowd, they wanted to hang out until 6 a.m. I would keep it going until then. Miles Davis would come in. Count Basie was sitting there with Frank. That's where I met Milt Jackson. I was learning so much at this time. I was also performing at the Playboy Club. 

At Jilly’s, for the next four years, my trio with a rotating stellar cast of bassist and drummers (Ron Carter, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, Al Harewood, Bob Cranshaw, Mickey Rocker, Sonny Payne, Tommy Williams, George Tucker) swung until the wee hours of the morning for Sinatra, a mix of celebrity entertainers, tough guys, thrill seekers, and more!

Check out the video clip below and Monty's trio with John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton right here.