Live at Smalls Neal Smith

• 1 The Cup Bearers (Live) 14:04
• 2 Junior (Live) 08:20
• 3 What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Live) 14:58
• 4 With Malice Towards None (Live) 12:16
• 5 A Portrait of You (Live) 14:02
• 6 Stew Peas (Live) 08:19
• 7 Fifty-Six (Live) 07:55
• Total Runtime 01:19:54

Info zu Live at Smalls

Schlagzeuger Neal Smith hat hier eine Wahnsinnsgruppe – Eric Alexander am Tenor, Steve Wilson am Alt, Mark Whitfield an der Gitarre und Mulgrew Miller am Klavier – eine Besetzung, der er mit seiner straffen Führung und der großartigen Materialauswahl für dieses Date mehr als gerecht wird! Zu den Stücken gehören zwei Nummern von Tom McIntosh – eine vielsagende Ergänzung, da das Album dieselben Soul-, Swing- und intellektuellen Elemente vereint, die McIntosh in seinen Kompositionen der frühen 60er Jahre einbrachte. Smith versteht es hervorragend, die sensibelsten Aspekte der Stücke hervorzuheben und den Musikern gleichzeitig die Freiheit zu geben, ihre eigene Stimme zu finden – teilweise dank der langen Takes dieser Live-Mitschnitte – und zu den Titeln gehören „Fifty Six“, „Stew Peas“, „A Portrait Of You“, „With Malice Towards None“, „The Cup Bearers“ und „Junior“.

Steve Wilson, Altsaxophon
Eric Alexander, Tenorsaxophon
Mulgrew Miller, Klavier
Mark Whitfield, Gitarre
Dezron Douglas, Kontrabass
Neal Smith, Schlagzeug

Live aufgenommen im Smalls Jazz Club, 23. und 24. August 2009.

Neal Smith
Born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Neal Smith has been playing drums since the age of five. By the time he completed high school he had achieved a remarkable list of performance accomplishments and earned an impressive array of awards, scholarships, and honors. With the support of his family, Neal continued his studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Performance, the first African-American to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from the Conservatory.

In addition to his academic training, Neal has studied with Vernell Fournier, Greg Bandy, Paul Samuels, Jeff Hamilton,Tom Freer, Bruce Collie, and Gordon Gottlieb.

Neal performs regularly in clubs and concert halls, at colleges and universities, and at U.S. and International Jazz Festivals. Neal leads his own group, which performs original compositions as well as classic arrangements of jazz standards.

Neal also performs regularly with internationally recognized artists and has shared the stage with the likes of Tom Harrell, Anita Baker, John Hicks, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Fortune, Jimmy Owens, Eddie Harris, Isaac Hayes, Gary Bartz, Marlena Shaw, Benny Golson, Donald Walden, Frank Morgan, Brian Lynch, Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone, Frank Foster, Dewey Redman, Mark Whitfield, Ronnie Mathews, Rufus Reid, Wendel Logan, James Moody, Marlena Shaw, Charles Davis and Vanessa Rubin.

Neal also leads his own group, which performs original compositions as well as classic arrangements of jazz standards.

Beyond performing, Neal loves to teach developing drummers. He is currently a Professor at Berklee College of Music, The New School and Longy School of Music.

Recognizing the need for a record label that focuses exclusively on the production of jazz recordings, Neal founded the NAS label in 2004.

Neal Smith endorses Sonor Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks + Brushes and Accessories, Hamilton Cymbal Stands and Axis Pedals.

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet