| Jazz |
At only 22 years old, Alexander already carries the unusual perspective of an artist who has spent half his life creating music. With a decade-long discography behind him, the young pianist and composer returns with “Celestial Keeper,” an album that reflects a profound period of transformation, both personal and artistic.
The changes began with a return home. Alexander and his family recently moved back to Bali, the Indonesian island where he was born, after spending nearly half of his life living between New York and Baltimore. The move represented far more than a change of scenery. It marked a dramatic shift in rhythm, environment, and perspective, one that has deeply influenced the music he creates.
The compositions on “Celestial Keeper” reveal a level of introspection and emotional depth that extends beyond his previous work. While Alexander’s earlier recordings established him as a remarkable young composer with a distinctive voice, this new album suggests an artist searching for something deeper, more expansive, and more personal. It also represents a significant first in his career: for the first time, his collaborations extend beyond instrumental dialogue to include the human voice.
The motivation behind the album also emerged from a familiar struggle among creators: the fear of the blank page. Like many artists, Alexander has faced moments when inspiration seems distant and creativity becomes difficult to access.
“Those moments of creative paralysis can be difficult to overcome,” Alexander explains. “But I believe there is a spiritual force that reminds me of the gift of music that God has given me. This guardian feels like an angel, redirecting my motivation and my attention toward what I love most: music. That voice encourages me to keep the flame alive, to let the music continue to resonate.”
That search for renewed inspiration is at the heart of “Celestial Keeper.” The album does not simply document a change in location; it captures the process of reconnecting with a sense of purpose.
Saxophonist Jaleel Shaw contributes significantly to the album’s emotional landscape, adding tension, movement, and dramatic color to Alexander’s compositions. Shaw’s presence helps expand the dialogue beyond the traditional piano trio format, bringing another dimension to the music’s storytelling.
The album’s exploration of the voice introduces another important chapter in Alexander’s artistic evolution. Alita Moses appears on the third track, “Whisper of Love,” bringing a sense of grace and poetry to a composition that seems to have been waiting for the presence of a voice capable of revealing its hidden beauty. Her interpretation does not simply decorate the music; it transforms the emotional atmosphere of the piece.
The same can be said of Lisa Fischer’s contribution to “My Funny Valentine.” Rather than offering another familiar interpretation of a jazz standard, Fischer approaches the song as a deeply personal statement. Her performance feels less like a cover and more like a reimagining, a conversation with the original composition. It stands among the most compelling versions of the song, not because it attempts to replace what came before, but because it discovers something new within it.
Although the move to Bali represented a major transition, the island’s natural environment and unique pace of life have long been sources of inspiration for Alexander. Returning to this landscape allowed him to become fully immersed in an atmosphere that has shaped the emotional identity of “Celestial Keeper.”
“Every day, I can experience this nature that we so often take for granted,” he says. “I live near the mountains, which constantly remind me of the beauty of nature and the gift of life. I am always grateful to witness this extraordinary landscape.”
That connection to the natural world can be felt throughout the album. The music often carries a sense of openness and space, as if the compositions are breathing alongside the environment that inspired them. At its most intimate moments, the album seems to recall the movement of the ocean, the quiet power of the mountains, and the feeling of being connected to something larger than oneself.
Across his eight albums as a leader, Alexander has collaborated with an impressive range of musicians, and “Celestial Keeper” continues that tradition. Yet this recording represents a new stage in his development, one where collaboration becomes not only a musical exchange but also an exploration of different emotional voices.
The decision to incorporate vocals was, in many ways, the realization of a long-held ambition.
“I have always wanted to include voices on one of my albums,” Alexander says. “It turned out that the moment had finally arrived. I love bringing new voices into my music and moving beyond the boundaries of the trio. Working with these two extraordinary singers has been a very special experience.”
From his new home in Bali, Alexander appears to have rediscovered a connection with his own origins. The landscape surrounding him has not only influenced the atmosphere of the album but has also encouraged a different approach to composition and performance. The result is a record that feels both rooted and forward-looking.
There is a clear desire to embrace a new tone and a new sonic identity, something that can even be heard in his approach to the piano. His playing feels more spacious, more reflective, and more willing to leave room for silence and uncertainty.
With Jaleel Shaw on alto saxophone, “Aversion” becomes one of the album’s most unpredictable and restless compositions. Alexander wrote the piece as a confrontation with his own fears as an artist.
“It is about my aversion to doubt and the feeling of insecurity regarding the music I am about to share,” he explains, “feelings that I have experienced with every album I have released.”
Shaw moves to soprano saxophone for two other original compositions by Alexander. “As Far as the Eye Can See” is the piece most directly inspired by the mountainous landscapes of Bali, where the composer now lives. The composition captures a sense of wonder and distance, as if looking outward while also turning inward.
The other, “Deep Calls to Deep,” carries a different energy. Built around the sound of the Rhodes piano, the track embraces a subtle funk influence while drawing its title from Psalm 42, one of the Bible’s most poetic passages.
“Most of the Psalms were written by musicians,” Alexander says. “In this passage, I feel that the author is in exile, without a place to pray or reconnect with his faith. I understand that longing for a deeper connection, which is why I wanted this piece to feel joyful and hopeful.”
That sense of searching defines “Celestial Keeper.” The album is not simply a reflection of where Alexander lives now, but of who he has become through that journey. Between the natural beauty of Bali, the vulnerability of artistic uncertainty, and the expanded possibilities created through collaboration, Alexander presents a work that feels like both a return and a beginning.
At an age when many musicians are still discovering their identity, he has created an album that suggests the opposite: an artist who has found new questions worth exploring.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 11th, 2026
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Musicians :
Joey Alexander: Piano (all), Fender Rhodes (5)
Kris Funn: Acoustic Bass (2-4, 6, 8, 9), Electric Bass (5)
Jonathan Barber: Drums (2-6, 8, 9)
Jaleel Shaw: Alto Saxophone (2), Soprano Saxophone (5, 9)
Alita Moses: Vocals (3)
Lisa Fischer: Vocals (6)
Track Listing :
- Bemused (solo improv I) 4:54
- Aversion feat. Jaleel Shaw 6:23
- Whispers of Love feat. Alita Moses 4:10
- Stella by Starlight 5:05
- Deep Calls to Deep feat. Jaleel Shaw 5:12
- My Funny Valentine feat. Lisa Fischer 6:18
- Bemused Again (solo improv II) 3:17
- Aliceanna (Bmore) 5:19
- As Far as the Eye Can See feat. Jaleel Shaw 6:59
- How Great Thou Art 2:58
Producer: Jason Olaine
Co-Producer: Denny Sila
Recorded at The Samurai Hotel Recording Studio in Astoria, NY – May 12-14, 2025
Engineers: David Stoller and Grady Bajorek
Mixed at Second Take Sound
Mixing Engineer: Chris Allen
Mastered at Harold LaRue Mastering in Houston, TX
Mastering Engineer: Harold LaRue
Photography by Evelyn Freja
Design by Nathan Golub
Illustration by Penny Lee
℗© 2026 Mack Avenue Records