Alex Veley
Encyclopedia
Alex Veley is an American
rock
musician, soul
keyboardist
and singer known for using classic keyboards like the Hammond organ
, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and Hohner
Clavinet
.
He was a founding member of Seattle-based neo-soul band Maktub
in the 1990s
and co-produced the band's debut album, 2000's "Subtle Ways
" which won "Best R&B album" that year at the Northwest Music Awards. He later went on to tour and perform with other Seattle groups like Tuatara
, The Minus 5
, and record with solo artists like Arkansas
Delta Blues
guitarist CeDell Davis
and singer-songwriter Dave Matthews
, recording Hammond organ on Matthews' grammy-award winning solo album, "Some Devil
."
In 2003, he moved to Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
, where he currently records and performs with artists such as Nando Reis e os Infernais
, Erasmo Carlos
, and many others.
Alex released a jazz-funk
solo album in 2003 entitled "Maconha Baiana" ("Bahian Marijuana"), recorded both in Rio de Janeiro and Seattle, Washington.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
and singer known for using classic keyboards like the Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and Hohner
Hohner
Hohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
Clavinet
Clavinet
A Clavinet is an electrically amplified keyboard instrument manufactured by the Hohner company. It is essentially an electronically amplified clavichord, analogous to an electric guitar. Its distinctive bright staccato sound has appeared particularly in funk, disco, rock, and reggae songs.Various...
.
He was a founding member of Seattle-based neo-soul band Maktub
Maktub
Maktub is a Seattle, Washington-based music group formed in the late 1990s that combines elements of hip-hop, rhythm and blues, soul, and funk, with a sprinkling of jazz and rock.-History:...
in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
and co-produced the band's debut album, 2000's "Subtle Ways
Subtle Ways
Subtle Ways is the first studio album released by Maktub. It was voted 1999 Northwest soul album of the year by the Grammy Association and Billboard Magazine called it "fresh and original."-Track listing:# "Intuition" – 5:29...
" which won "Best R&B album" that year at the Northwest Music Awards. He later went on to tour and perform with other Seattle groups like Tuatara
Tuatara
The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
, The Minus 5
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.-Band history:Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective, with each record the group put out featuring a new lineup...
, and record with solo artists like Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Delta Blues
Delta blues
The Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, a region of the United States that stretches from Memphis, Tennessee in the north to Vicksburg, Mississippi in the south, Helena, Arkansas in the west to the Yazoo River on the east. The...
guitarist CeDell Davis
CeDell Davis
CeDell Davis is an American blues guitarist and singer.Davis is most notable for his distinctive style of guitar playing. Davis plays guitar using a table knife in his fretting hand in a manner similar to slide guitar, resulting in a welter of metal-stress harmonic transients and a singular tonal...
and singer-songwriter Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews
David John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
, recording Hammond organ on Matthews' grammy-award winning solo album, "Some Devil
Some Devil
Some Devil is the debut solo album by musician Dave Matthews. It was released on September 23, 2003 on RCA Records. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, signifying over a million copies sold. The album features several guest musicians, including long-time Dave Matthews Band collaborator...
."
In 2003, he moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, where he currently records and performs with artists such as Nando Reis e os Infernais
Nando Reis e os Infernais
Nando Reis e Os Infernais is a Brazilian rock band founded by Nando Reis. It is the band that plays with him in studio and during live performances for his solo albums...
, Erasmo Carlos
Erasmo Carlos
Erasmo Carlos, born Erasmo Esteves on June 5, 1941, in the Tijuca area of Rio de Janeiro, is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, most closely associated with his friend and longtime collaborator Roberto Carlos...
, and many others.
Alex released a jazz-funk
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
solo album in 2003 entitled "Maconha Baiana" ("Bahian Marijuana"), recorded both in Rio de Janeiro and Seattle, Washington.
United States
- 2000: MaktubMaktubMaktub is a Seattle, Washington-based music group formed in the late 1990s that combines elements of hip-hop, rhythm and blues, soul, and funk, with a sprinkling of jazz and rock.-History:...
"Subtle Ways" (Jasiri Media Group) - 2002: TuataraTuataraThe tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...
"Cinamathique" (Fast Horse Recordings) - 2002: CeDell DavisCeDell DavisCeDell Davis is an American blues guitarist and singer.Davis is most notable for his distinctive style of guitar playing. Davis plays guitar using a table knife in his fretting hand in a manner similar to slide guitar, resulting in a welter of metal-stress harmonic transients and a singular tonal...
"When Lightnin' Hit the Pine" (Fast Horse Recordings) - 2003: Dave MatthewsDave MatthewsDavid John "Dave" Matthews is a South African–born American musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band...
"Some Devil" (RCA) - 2005: Bola AbimbolaBola AbimbolaBola Abimbola is a vocalist, recording artist, and record producer from Lagos, Nigeria.- Musical career :Bola’s career in music began at the age of nineteen with his first recording - Silifa Bamijo which featured a Yoruba-language version of Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Till You Get EnoughBola has...
"Ara Kenge" (Fast Horse Recordings)
Brazil
- 2000: Nando ReisNando ReisNando Reis is a Brazilian musician and producer, best known as the former bassist and lead singer of Brazilian rock band Titãs and for his successful solo career, with his own band called Os Infernais...
"Para Quando o Arco-Íris Encontrar o Pote de Ouro" (Warner) - 2001: Nando Reis "Infernal" (Warner)
- 2003: Nando Reis "A Letra A" (Universal)
- 2005: Nando Reis e os InfernaisNando Reis e os InfernaisNando Reis e Os Infernais is a Brazilian rock band founded by Nando Reis. It is the band that plays with him in studio and during live performances for his solo albums...
"Mtv Ao Vivo - Nando Reis e Os Infernais" (Mtv - Universal) - 2006: Nando Reis e os Infernais "Sim e Nao" (Universal)
- 2007: Nando Reis e os Infernais "Lual Mtv - Nando Reis e Os Infernais" (Mtv - Universal)
- 2009: Nando Reis e os Infernais "Drês" (Universal)
- 2009: Erasmo CarlosErasmo CarlosErasmo Carlos, born Erasmo Esteves on June 5, 1941, in the Tijuca area of Rio de Janeiro, is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, most closely associated with his friend and longtime collaborator Roberto Carlos...
"Rock 'n' Roll" (Coqueiro Verde) - 2010: Nando Reis e os Infernais "Bailão do Ruivão" (Mtv - Universal)
- 2011: Erasmo Carlos "Sexo" (Coqueiro Verde)