John McNeil (musician)

John McNeil ( born March 23, 1948 in Yreka, Northern California ) is an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player and composer, arranger and music producer.

Life and work

John McNeil is self-taught; after his high school graduation in 1966 he began working as a professional musician in Northern California. The mid-1970s he moved to New York and worked as a freelance musician, playing with the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra and conducted their own formations, with which he appeared as the Boomer's in clubs.

The late 1970s, McNeil was a member of the Horace Silver Quintet. Around this time he began recording with his own trio, quartet and quintet formations for the label Steeplechase; as created in 1978 with Bob Berg, Joanne Brackeen, Rufus Reid and Billy Hart Album Embarkation. In 1979, he worked for his album Faun with Dave Liebman and Richard Beirach; In 1979 he had a quintet with Tom Harrell ( Look to the Sky). In 1983 he worked with Jesper Lundgaard and Doug Raney. He also worked as a sideman with Gerry Mulligan. In the 1990s, he worked increasingly as a composer, arranger and producer. End of the 90s he had a piano -less quartet with saxophonist and clarinetist Kenny Burger. In his albums for Omnitone that arose in the 2000s, Latin jazz and free jazz elements came into his game.

Disco Graphical Notes

• Fortuity ( Steeplechase, 2001)
• This Way Out ( Omintone, 2003)
• Sleep Will not Come ( Omnitone, 2004)
• East Coast Cool ( Omnitone, 2006)
• Rediscovery ( Omnitone, 2009)
• John McNeil / Bill McHenry Chill Morn He Climb Jenny ( Sunnyside, 2011)