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Jim McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe.
(Photo: Courtesy jim-mcneely.com)Pianist Jim McNeely, one of the most distinguished large ensemble jazz composers of his generation, died Sept. 26 at age 76. He had recently been diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct.
A disciple of the esteemed jazz composer-arranger Bob Brookmeyer, McNeely made major contributions to the repertoire of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, later known as the Mel Lewis Orchestra and eventually renamed the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. McNeely played piano with the iconic big band, which to this day continues its long tradition of Monday night performances at New York’s Village Vanguard, from 1978 to 1984 and rejoined the group for a second stint beginning in 1996. His elegantly crafted signature charts, known for their expressive style and intricate content, were featured prominently in the group and contribute to his substantial legacy of original compositions and arrangements. He appeared with the group as pianist and conductor on the album Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard (Planet Arts), which won a Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in 2009 and featured his composition “Las Cucarachas Entran.”
“He created the paradigm for bringing fresh new ideas about line, harmony, rhythm, sound and musical architecture into the vocabulary of large ensemble jazz,” pianist and composer Ethan Iverson wrote in an obituary posted on McNeely’s website. “Many McNeely compositions contained fleet saxophone melodies over skittering, sometimes ominous syncopated bass lines, while the lyrical element would be supplied by sustained brass shapes written against the beat. While this was all quite creative and complex, each section of the band was tasked with the playable, not the impossible, and an eight-minute chart would unfold as naturally as a cell division.”
McNeely’s singular body of work had a profound and lasting influence on many of today’s top jazz composers in the U.S. and in Europe, where he worked extensively with some of the world’s top-performing large ensembles (including WDR Big Band in Germany, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, The Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands, The Danish Radio Big Band, the Swiss Jazz Orchestra and, most frequently of all, the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, where he held a 12-year tenure as chief conductor).
Born on May 18, 1949, in Chicago, McNeely appeared in DownBeat during his teens as an upcoming composer of note and as the author of an Ornette Coleman solo transcription.
He earned a music degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and in 1975 moved to New York, where he made his recording debut with trumpeter Ted Curson in 1976. In addition to working with Jones and Lewis, he played with the Stan Getz Quartet from 1981 to 1985 and was a member of the Phil Woods Quintet from 1990 to 1995. He also led trios and combos of his own, recording more than two dozen albums as a leader. McNeely worked with the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and numerous student groups, teaching at Manhattan School of Music for 14 years spending 16 years as the music director for the BMI Jazz Composer’s Workshop.
McNeely generously collaborated with high-level soloists, including pianist Renee Rosnes, saxophonist David Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach, and saxophonist Chris Potter, with whom he recorded the Stravinsky-inspired 2022 album Rituals (Double Moon/Challenge Records) featuring the Frankfurt Radio Big Band. This year saw the release of the acclaimed album Primal Colors (Challenge), which McNeely recorded with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and the Frankfurt Radio Symphony.
“McNeely seemed to like all kinds of music, and was perennially curious about new sounds,” Iverson said in his post. “When confronted with a new orchestra, he disarmed the suspicious players by telling jokes and asking questions. His wit and generosity helped make him an excellent colleague, a sympathetic collaborator and a terrific teacher.”
During his cancer treatment, McNeely was able to witness Celebrating Jim McNeely, a retrospective concert of his compositions on Sept. 10 at New York’s DiMenna Center for Classical Music performed by an 18-piece big band stacked with key McNeely associates and guest artists. His old friend and musical partner, Rufus Reid, was the Master of Ceremonies. The heartfelt tribute was organized by Rufus Reid, Mike Holober, Darcy James Argue, Migiwa Miyajima, and Daniel Jamieson in collaboration with JazzComposersPresent.com.
Iverson announced on his Substack newsletter Transitional Technology that a final McNeely big band album will come out posthumously. “Jim told me that this was his best work yet,” he said.
In addition to his wife, Marie, McNeely is survived by his children Clare McNeely, Grace McNeely and Peter McNeely, his daughter-in-law, Ashley McNeely, his grandson, Andrew McNeely, and his siblings Connie McNeely and Tom McNeely.
To read a DownBeat Double Blindfold Test from 2022 featuring McNeely and fellow composer-arranger Ryan Truesdell, CLICK HERE. DB
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