Born on the island of Bali in the city of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia in 2003, Joey Alexander first encountered a piano at the age of six, and was immediately able to pick out the melody of Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't" and other jazz standards from his father's record collection by ear. Despite no formal jazz education, Joey rose quickly in the Indonesian jazz scene and beyond. In 2013 he was featured at jazz festivals in both Jakarta and Copenhagen