Contemporary jazz keyboard player Alex Bugnon, nephew of trumpeter Donald Byrd, grew up going to the Montreux Jazz Festival in his hometown in Switzerland. He attended the Paris Conservatory of Music for two years, then moved to the U.S. and went to the Berklee School of Music, meanwhile performing as an accompanist to gospel groups. He spent four years working as a session musician in New York, backing urban and jazz performers such as Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson, James Ingram, and Keith Sweat.
Alex Bugnon is one of those rare artists whose recordings completely involve the listener not only in his melodic, groove oriented music, but his entire creative mindset and lifestyle as well. The Swiss born composer/keyboardist’s 2001 hit SOUL PURPOSE, remained on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart for 23 weeks.