Alex
Otey is an award-winning pianist, singer, trumpeter and
composer/arranger who has performed with a number of prominent jazz
musicians, and recorded with Grover Washington Jr and Richie Cole. Otey
arranged, performed on, and produced a GRAMMY Nominated album
and is included as a participant artist on a second
nominated project,
as well as on a GRAMMY Winning collaboration. His scope of
performances also extends regularly to the Philadelphia PA and Central
NJ
areas with
countless private party and public venue appearances, such as the River
House at Odette's, King George Inn, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine
Arts, World Caf Live and Harrah’s Casino to his credit. He was honored
to have
performed at the White House Egg Roll event in 2010 with Miss Amy, and
has appeared at Bethlehem Musikfest and other festivals along the east
coast, along with performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in
NYC. Otey also received a master's in Music Business from Berklee
College of Music.
Otey began his musical career with classical training of trumpet and
percussion, starting lessons at age 7 and adding piano and singing to
his skill set as a teenager. Influenced by music of the 70's and
performers such as Billy Joel and Elton John, Otey began performing
"piano man" style entertaining while in high school. Other
influences such as Harry Connick Jr. and the swing era have shaped
Otey's style to range from Sinatra ballads and jazz standards though
Beatles, Van Morrison and Sting hits.
Otey's father, concert pianist and Curtis scholarship recipient Orlando
Otey, was Executive Director of the Wilmington Music School during the
youngster's upbringing providing him an early formal musical
education. Appearing with the Wilmington Symphony as an early
teenager along with competing in music competitions including
Tri-County, Otey continued to study trumpet with Seymor Rosenfeld of
the Philadelphia Orchestra until the age of 18.
Through his teen and young adult years Otey performed with jazz bands
and orchestras, and formed small ensembles, including the APO
Jazz Trio, performing in and around Philadelphia.
Otey has performed with Lew Soloff, played lead trumpet with Richie
Cole's Alto Madness Orchestra, and
recorded with Grover Washington Jr. on the Skylarking album, as well as accompanied Tony
Award winning Christian Hoff on We Talk Without Words.
Currently, Otey performs regularly as a solo act, as well as with the
Alex Otey Trio.
Otey has engineered and/or produced notable recordings such as A Gift
To Be Free with Dana & Sue Talley, and New Music of the Americas
with pianist/composer Leonardo Le San, as well as: Underwater,
Wide Wide World, I Wanna Know How It Works!, The Chopin of Mexico Plays
Chopin 1&2, Tenochtitl n 1325, Angels Riding Shotgun, Angel
Blessings (Benefiting Hospice), and GRAMMY Nominated Fitness Rock
& Roll™.
