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Neil "Nail" Alexander

Keyboardist NEIL"NAIL" ALEXANDER has been performing professionally for 40+ years. His musical craft extends from Performance, Compositon, Arranging and Production to Live Sound, Modern Dance and Film. Grants from NYSCA and Meet The Composer gave Neil the opportunity to continue building on his composing skills. In addition to teaching piano and keyboard lessons Neil also teaches Master Classes in Synthesizer Programming and Music Performance Technology, and composes for "X Ensemble', a chamber ensemble. As an active musician he has recordings and/or a performance history with a variety of groups and artists such as Joe Lovanao, Bob Meyer, Gunther Hampel, Tony "Thunder" Smith, Tal Ross (P-Funk), Charles Haynes, Erik Lawrence, and The Adaptors Movement Theater. His classical repertoire includes works by Stravinsky, Charles Ives, and John Cage. From 1996-2006 he held the keyboard chair for the notoriously succseful Pink Floyd Tribute "The Machine", where he was a driving force in the group’s success. In 2008 he joined Gregg Bendian's Mahavishnu Project, In addition, he does electronic and/or acoustic solo performances under the name "Nail Jung". Solo projects include “Scene Re- seen”, live electronic scoring of silent films.
In 1999, Neil Started his electric jazz ensemble Neil Alexander & NAIL. Now in their 23rd year, NAIL  continues their committment to the future of Jazz and improvised music. With a diverse stylistic palette and fierce musicianship, the ensemble skillfully blends modern and traditional forms with experimental concepts and electronic music. Although currently not touring, their latest release "The Album That Never Was", a collection of live recordings from 2022. Neil's other projects include the improvising ensemble "Supercluster" with bassist Robert Kopec and drummer Dean Sharp; a jazz funk outfit called "Cloudburst", founded by drummer Tony Parker; and "Mr Gone", a contemporary jaz fusion quartet led by Neil with saxophonist Peter Furlan.  For even more info visit www.nailmusic.com.

Awards

Orange County Arts Council: Individual Artist Award (2015)

Gear

Yamaha C6 Grand Piano. Synthesizers & Keyboards: Moog Voyager, Minimoog Model 2, Memorymoog, Moog Sub37, Etherwave Theremin; Dave Smith Prophet 12, Pro 2 and OB6; Nord Electro 4; Korg Kronos 88, Wavestation/WavestationR and O/5RW; Honer Melodica; Ableton PUSH 2 Controller; Mac Book Pro running Ableton LIVE, Kontakt, etc; Custom pedal boards; Roland AX7 Remote Keyboard.


Tags

15
Album Review

Rez Abbasi: Django-shift

Read "Django-shift" reviewed by Friedrich Kunzmann


Talking about shifting. American guitarist Rez Abbasi seems capable of shifting shape and changing form from one project to the next like a creature from a J.R.R. Tolkien adventure—almost beyond recognition. If it weren't for the guitarist's inspired fret fingerings and rushed scale runs giving him his utterly unique spark. Between much praised quintet recording Unfiltered Universe (Whirlwind Recordings, 2017) and the Indian-infused collaboration Indo-Pak Coalition comprised of himself, Dan Weiss and Rudresh Mahanthappa releasing Agrima (Self Produced, ...

14
Album Review

Rez Abbasi: Django-shift

Read "Django-shift" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Django Reinhardt's music is so ubiquitous that it's easy to forget his career was relatively brief. The gypsy guitarist/composer had recorded hundreds of 78s and acetates before he died of a stroke in 1953 at age forty-three. On many early sides, he played a six-string banjo-guitar hybrid tuned in the standard tuning of a guitar. Norman Granz produced the only full LP Reinhardt session two months before the artist passed. Along with over twenty posthumous compilation releases, Nuages (Verve, 1953) ...

131
Take Five With...

Take Five With Neil Alexander

Read "Take Five With Neil Alexander" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Neil Alexander: Jazz musician Neil Alexander was performing, composing and arranging by age 14. In 2007 he released Tugging At The Infinite, his fourth CD with his contemporary electric/acoustic jazz ensemble NAIL. As well as managing his own electric and acoustic ensembles, he does sessions as both player and programmer, and works with a variety of Modern Dance and Experimental Theater companies. He has received grants from Meet The Composer & the NYSCA; performed works by ...

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1

Performance / Tour

Pianist Neil Alexander releases"100 Years Of Spring"

Pianist Neil Alexander releases"100 Years Of Spring"

Source: Neil Alexander

Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring) Centennial Tribute 100 Years of Spring with pianist Neil Alexander Imagine a quiet morning in a food market. A place Anthony Bourdain or Jamie Oliver might visit while jaunting around the globe. Strategically placed, among vendors setting up their stalls, is a piano. When the market opens people trickle in, or pour in, and some may notice the unusual addition and wonder. Then, as people are chatting, procuring, rushing or strolling, ...

173

Performance / Tour

Neil Alexander & Nail Present "A 400 Year Musical Journey"

Neil Alexander & Nail Present "A 400 Year Musical Journey"

Source: Michael Ricci

Aug 4th 2009 - Newburgh resident Neil Alexander and his stellar Jazz-Fusion trio NAIL will bring a one of a kind performance to the Newburgh Free Library on September 13th at 2 pm. Entitled “A 400 Year Musical Journey”, the performance will feature Keyboardist/Composer Neil Alexander, drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker and bassist Dan Asher with guest musicians violinist Zach Brock and woodwind master Premik Russel Tubbs. The ensemble will perform music from each century (1609, 1709, 1809) including arrangements of Bach ...

195

Performance / Tour

Neil Alexander and Nail Performs Live at Beanrunner Cafe

Neil Alexander and Nail Performs Live at Beanrunner Cafe

Source: PublicEye

NEIL ALEXANDER & NAIL at the BEAN RUNNER CAFE Saturday May 16th @ 7:00PM Free and open to the public

A BLEND OF RED HOT JAZZ, BURNING FUNK GROOVES AND SOARING SOUNDSCAPES

Peekskill, NY-- NAIL returns to Peekskill NY at the brand new Bean Runner Cafe, playing their unique blend of jazz, jam, rock, funk and ambient music Saturday May 16th at 7:00p.m. This show will feature Neil Alexander on Keyboard, with Thierry Arpino (Jean luc Ponty, Bill Evans) on ...

Neil Alexander "Darn That Dream: Solo Piano Vol. 1" Review by Brent Black, CriticalJazz.com Much like some people met as you walk through life, some have to grow on you and music is no different. Neil Alexander's Darn That Dream Volume 1 with two versions of the classic Van Heusen/DeLange song gave me the impression that Alexander was attempting to play it safe with multiple reharms of the same tune and I was expecting the rest of the set list to consist of the typical cast of characters including Cole Porter, George Gershwin and perhaps a touch of Monk thrown in for flavor. I was pleasantly surprised that only four of the eleven tunes were covers and not the standard bill of fare piano aficionados had come to expect

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Primary Instrument

Keyboards

Location

Beacon

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Credentials/Background

Private instruction in Jazz Piano, Synthesizer Programming, Music Software and production including sampling/looping, etc. Late afternoons prefered; $70 per hour.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Lec/Dems in Technology for Musical performance; Improvisation Clinics; Master Classes in group performance, music technology. Ableton LIVE a specialty. From 2015-2018 led a once a month Electronic Music Production workshop at the Newburgh Free Library, 124 Grand St Newburgh NY.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Django-shift

Whirlwind Recordings
2020

buy

Neil Alexander &...

Pdog Records
2018

buy

A Sampling Of Worlds

Pdog Records
2015

buy

Soft Invaders

Pdog Records
2015

buy

Shenandoah

From: The Album That Never Was: Live...
By Neil "Nail" Alexander

Django's Castle

From: Django-shift
By Neil "Nail" Alexander

The Travelers Tale

From: Darn That Dream: Solo Piano...
By Neil "Nail" Alexander

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