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Neal Miner

Neal Miner was introduced to the world of jazz by his first teacher – his father Bill Miner, a respected jazz record collector and discographer. Bill's love of jazz kindled a passion in his son from an early age. Bill shared the music of his vast record collection, took Neal to clubs and concerts, and ensured he received the best musical instruction.

Born and raised in Manhattan, Neal received his high school diploma from the Interlochen Arts Academy, and attended the Manhattan School of Music. Most notable of his private teachers were classical bassist, Orin O’Brien of the New York Philharmonic, and jazz bassist, John Webber.

Since the age of 19, Neal has been a solid fixture on the New York City jazz scene and is a favored bassist to a host of musicians, both rising jazz stars (Larry Goldings, Harry Allen, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein, David Hazeltine, Dena DeRose, Ann Hampton Callaway, Loston Harris), and jazz legends (James Moody, Frank Wess, David Allyn, Eddie Locke, Etta Jones, Bob Dorough, Warren Vaché). Neal has toured and recorded with Jon Hendricks since 1998, and has been backing Annie Ross steadily since 2005 at her weekly engagement at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. In 2007, Neal joined Jane Monheit’s band with which he has been performing at major festivals, jazz clubs and concert halls around the world. Neal has written arrangements for and plays on Jane's last four albums.

Neal has four CD releases as a leader that showcase his compositions and arrangements. In 2000, his debut CD, The Real Neal, was released on the Juniper Records label. In 2006, The Evening Sound, was released on the Smalls Records label. In 2009, Neal released his CD, Happy Hour, on the Gut String Records label. In 2011 Neal's lastest release, Sweet Tooth, is on the Gut String Records label. “Miner’s uncontrived projection of this lexicon’s spirit raises the music appreciably above the generic.” —Bill Shoemaker, Downbeat

In addition to performing, Neal teaches private jazz bass lessons through The New School and The City College of New York.

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Album Review

Jon-Erik Kellso and the EarRegulars: Live at the Ear Inn

Read "Live at the Ear Inn" reviewed by Jack Bowers


As trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso and his EarRegulars had been performing every Sunday night for more than sixteen years at New York City's historic Ear Inn, Kellso reasoned it was time that one of their concerts should be recorded to share more broadly the fun and enthusiasm that animates every session. Once the ties had been bound, parts of two concerts were recorded, on January 15 and 29, 2023. The music is a hybrid, with one foot planted ...

3
Album Review

Mike Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by David A. Orthmann


A sense of discovery, exhilaration, and depth are not qualities often induced by recent jazz recordings that showcase some of the once innovative, now commonplace styles from the mid-to-late twentieth century. There is no shortage of less-than-stellar releases that land squarely inside the bop/hard bop continuum. One notable exception to the abundance of mere competence is the body of work of drummer Mike Melito. Beginning in the late twentieth century, Melito has led several impressive recording dates ...

36
Album Review

Mike Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by Jack Bowers


The leader of any group whose credo is To Swing Is the Thing had best enlist some hired hands whose propensity to swing is sure and steady, regardless of mood or tempo. Veteran drummer Mike Melito's talented quintet runs that course without breaking a sweat, lending Melito all the help he needs to keep his eighth album as leader bright and swinging from start to finish. Trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart, past masters to ...

4
Album Review

MIke Melito: To Swing Is The Thing

Read "To Swing Is The Thing" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Rochester NY native Mike Melito is an fine drummer who has been active on the jazz scene for many years. His whose drumming style was inspired by Roy McCurdy, who was an integral part of the jazz groups fronted by both Nat Adderley and Julian “Cannonball" Adderley. With a wide-ride cymbal beat and fluid phrasing, Melito's drumming style shows to full effect on To Swing Is The Thing. Joining him are several standout New York-based musicians including tenor saxophonist Grant ...

7
Album Review

Sam Taylor: Let Go

Read "Let Go" reviewed by Edward Blanco


Presenting his third offering from the Cellar Live record label, Harlem-based and Philadelphia native, saxophonist Sam Taylor unleashes an exciting bop-filled package of contemporary jazz covers, making a superb job of interpreting the music of composers such as Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Jule Styne and Jimmy Van Heusen and laying down sturdy new treatments of oft-recorded and ageless classics. The goal of this project is best described by the saxophonist himself in the liner notes when he states: “Fill the ...

3
Album Review

Sam Taylor: Let Go

Read "Let Go" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor is a man with a purpose. He is committed to sharing the joy music brings him with like-minded listeners. For this album, he brought together a number of his heroes including trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Neal Miner and drummer Willie Jones III at one of jazz's most iconic recording studios, the Van Gelder Studios at Englewood Cliffs NJ, on January 31, 2022, under the guidance of engineer Maureen Sickler. ...

4
Album Review

Naama Gheber: If I Knew Then

Read "If I Knew Then" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


New York City-based vocalist Naama Gheber released her debut recording, Dearly Beloved (Cellar Music) in 2020, just before the global COVID-19 pandemic. With live entertainment brought to a halt, Gheber found herself with time on her hands and no way to promote her considerable talent in live performance. Israeli by birth, Gheber was an enfant terrible who ascended quickly professionally. After being trained at the Center for Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv, Gheber was accepted into the jazz program at ...

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Video / DVD

Standard Time: Neal Miner and Friends

Standard Time: Neal Miner and Friends

Source: Jazz Lives by Michael Steinman

Neal Miner is not only a fine bassist and composer; he's also a remarkable jazz videographer who gets splendid results without a truckload of equipment. His YouTube channel is “gutstringrecords," and I've taken two of his recent videos to share (and applaud) here.

The first is a nimble, sustained reading of the Schertzinger-Mercer I REMEMBER YOU for piano trio: Neal, Michael Kanan on piano, Rick Montalbano on drums:

Aside from the ...

Marco Rottoli
bass, acoustic

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

To Swing Is The Thing

Cellar Music Group
2023

buy

Live at the Ear Inn

Arbors Records
2023

buy

If I Knew Then

Sassy’s In Town
2022

buy

If I knew Then

Sassy’s In Town
2022

buy

If I Knew Then

Sassy's In Town
2022

buy

If I Knew Then

Sassy's In Town
2022

buy

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