ALEX MINASIAN IS BACK AT THE PARK. PLAYING OUR MASON & HAMLIN 7-FOOT CONCERT GRAND PIANO – Tickets $25
With two degrees from NYU, Alex Minasian has, at a remarkably young age, established himself as a versatile pianist, educator, and impresario in many different musical genres. As a pianist, Alex has studied with some of the greatest pianists in jazz history including Hank Jones, Don Friedman, Jean-Michel Pilc, and James Williams, and has performed in most of the country’s most famous jazz rooms such as Birdland, the Blue Note, Cafe Carlyle, Yoshi’s, Bohemian Caverns Iridium, Jazz @ Lincoln Center, Scullers, the Regattabar, and the Apollo Theater. He has shared the stage with such legends as James Ingram, Arturo Sandoval, ?UESTLOVE, Sam Moore, Marylin McCoo, Curtis Fuller, Hank Jones, and Clark Terry, and with such jazz greats as Brian Lynch, Billy Pierce, Kenny Washington, Sheila Jordan, Gary Bartz, and Hugh Masekela.
Minasian also performs as pianist and musical director for singer, actor, songwriter, and musical historian Billy Vera and his 18-piece big band. Currently, you can catch Alex on tour with Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Little Anthony and the Imperials, and Soul Diva, Candi Staton. Alex has also headlined important jazz celebrations like the Burlington Jazz Festival, the Rochester Jazz Festival appearing as co-leader of a trio with Canadian bassist Brandi Disterheft, and last summer leading a quartet in D.C as part of the Jazz in the Gardens concert series in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,000 people. In 2013, Minasian, Disterheft, and veteran drummer Steve Williams (Shirley Horn), formed the Hanky Panky Trio to honor Hank Jones. The Hanky Panky trio is featured in Season 2 of the hit Netflix show, ‘Orange Is The New Black‘. They have performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival with Sheila Jordan, and as a trio at the Istanbul Jazz Festival. Alex has been featured in Yerevan Magazine, a Los Angeles–based Armenian publication promoting Armenian news and culture.