Michael McNeill

Pianist Michael McNeill has cultivated a personal style that has found a home in contexts both mainstream and avant-garde, from the ethereal chamber-jazz sounds of resAUnance, to the post-bop energy of Kelly Bucheger's What Would Mingus Do?, and in his own music for his trio with veteran improvisers Ken Filiano (bass) and Phil Haynes (drums) and for the Buffalo Jazz Octet. His two CDs with Filiano and Haynes have drawn praise from critics in the US and abroad, who note that the band plays “thoughtful... interactive music that is seriously playful” (StepTempest), “brimming with intelligence and passion” (AllAboutJazz.com), and that the trio “has much to offer not only to jazz or classical music, but music as a whole” (Music On The Run, Brazil).

Other projects and collaborations have included concerts with Dave Ballou, Juini Booth, Joe Ford, Taylor Ho Bynum, Drew Gress, Charlie Kohlhase, Paul Smoker, and David Taylor. McNeill served as pianist and arranger on vocalist Mari McNeil's 2014 release Here Beneath The Blue and can be heard as a sideperson on Kelly Bucheger's 2012 CD House of Relics as well as four albums (1, 2, 3, 4) by percussionist Ravi Padmanabha. Forthcoming recordings include an album of duets with drummer/composer John Bacon and a live album from the Buffalo Jazz Octet.

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Michael McNeill piano

Take Five With...

Take Five With Michael McNeill

Album Review

Passageways by Eyal Hareuveni
Passageways by Hrayr Attarian
Flight by Budd Kopman
Flight by Hrayr Attarian

“… blew me away with his debut (Passageways) and continues to impress… A-”
(Tom Hull) (See also: Tom Hull's "The Best Jazz Albums of 2015")

“* * * * … a simultaneously innovative and accessible album.”
(Hrayr Attarian, AllAboutJazz)

“Flight walks by the classic and the modern fluidly… proving that the Michael McNeill Trio has much to offer not only to jazz or classical music, but music as a whole. 4/5”
(Gabriel Carvalho, Music On The Run)

“ * * * * Brimming with intelligence and passion… Engaging from start to finish, Flight is one of those special albums can be enjoyed on many levels… with more of its secrets revealed with each listen.”
(Budd Kopman, AllAboutJazz)

“'Flight' is thoughtful music, interactive music that is seriously playful. … the listener will find much to ponder and enjoy each time the recording unfolds.”
(Richard Kamins, Step Tempest)

“For piano trios, the McNeill outfit as heard on the new album is one-of-a-kind, enormously talented and pushing the boundaries of the art in the best ways.”
(Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Music Review)

“… (The) juxtaposition of old vs. new and of catchy vs. chaotic creates an appealing tension from the way these diametrically opposed motivations work so well in tandem.”
(Daniel Sumner, Bird Is The Worm)

“McNeill is definitely a player with technique and a composer with ideas. Flight is definitely well worth checking out.”
(Robert Iannapollo, Cadence Magazine (April/May/June 2016))

“The trio creates some nice moods but also cooks. A very interesting record which will stand up to many plays.”
(Bernie Koenig, Cadence Magazine (April/May/June 2016))

“… blew me away with his debut (Passageways) and continues to impress… A-”
(Tom Hull) (See also: Tom Hull's "The Best Jazz Albums of 2015")

“* * * * … a simultaneously innovative and accessible album.”
(Hrayr Attarian, AllAboutJazz)

“Flight walks by the classic and the modern fluidly… proving that the Michael McNeill Trio has much to offer not only to jazz or classical music, but music as a whole. 4/5”
(Gabriel Carvalho, Music On The Run)

“ * * * * Brimming with intelligence and passion… Engaging from start to finish, Flight is one of those special albums can be enjoyed on many levels… with more of its secrets revealed with each listen.”
(Budd Kopman, AllAboutJazz)

“'Flight' is thoughtful music, interactive music that is seriously playful. … the listener will find much to ponder and enjoy each time the recording unfolds.”
(Richard Kamins, Step Tempest)

“McNeill is definitely a player with technique and a composer with ideas. Flight is definitely well worth checking out.”
(Robert Iannapollo, Cadence Magazine (April/May/June 2016))

“The trio creates some nice moods but also cooks. A very interesting record which will stand up to many plays.”
(Bernie Koenig, Cadence Magazine (April/May/June 2016))

"What can you expect when a talented trio of performers, equally at home in jazz originals and jazz improvisations, as well as contemporary avant-garde classical music, and who all happen to be accomplished composers get together? Judging from the first performances of the resAUnance trio—vocalist Esin Gündüz, keyboard player Michael McNeil and the legendary local percussionist John Bacon—you can expect to hear a distinctive sound, centered on the ethereal, wordless singing of Gündüz, which will take you to places you haven’t experienced before." — Jan Jezioro, ArtVoice

“I often despair of my inability to sort out the vast wave of piano trios that come my way, but sometimes I'm caught by surprise — just rarely by someone I've never heard of before. First clue here is the bassist, who never plays on uninteresting albums. Filiano kicks off the 20:34 opener — that length another sign that something is up here — but when the pianist takes over he darts in and out, never settling for something ordinary… A- ” — Tom Hull

“With Passageways McNeill has burst on the modern music scene as an exciting and ingenious composer and improviser. His more seasoned associates, far from overshadowing him, enhance his singular vision. Hopefully this gem of a disc will serve as an introduction to a luminous career.” — Hrayr Attarian, AllAboutJazz.com

“Michael McNeill's debut as a leader introduces a fresh perspective to the popular piano trio format. His compositions don't progress in a linear manner, nor do they strive to settle on time-tested harmonic or rhythmic structures; instead, they insistently explore the sonic possibilities within the immediate, fragile and equal interplay that the Buffalo, NY-based pianist-composer has with his improvisation-experienced trio mates, double bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Phil Haynes… McNeill is an exceptional composer and player, with a debut that sets a high standard for those yet to come.” — Eyal Hareuveni, AllAboutJazz.com

“The McNeill Trio plays high-level improvisational music, built around strong compositions and sturdy motifs… His extended solo during album- opener ‘Hold On’ offers a master- class in musical storytelling, and his improvised prelude to ‘Metropolis’ is both playful and haunting.” - Jeff Miers, Buffalo News

“I think some of the most creative music that’s happening right now in the country is the new jazz - Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, Paul Smoker. I think Mike McNeill, a young, local jazz pianist, is going to be a star.” - Tom Kohn (concert producer, owner of The Bop Shop), in an interview with Ron Netsky, City Newspaper (Rochester)

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Primary Instrument

Piano

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

I've taught piano lessons since 2000 to students ranging in age from 5 to 83. I hold Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music. I currently teach at Pro Music Center in Clarence, NY, and have taught piano (primarily under the course heading "Jazz Keyboard Skills") at Villa Maria College since Fall 2012.