Issue #3
November 2001
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The Real Neal
by Sten Grynir
Acoustic bass is one of the rhythmic underpinnings of any good jazz group. Usually condemned by its lack of volume to play in the background, the bass is capable of surprising melodic effectiveness. Neal Miner, bassist for the Chris Byars Octet (reviewed in our October issue) and other jazz groups, demonstrates this in his CD The Real Neal. He also demonstrates significant ability as a jazz composer, authoring four of the eleven numbers on the CD, and co-authoring a fifth.
Backed by Chris Bergson on guitar, Joe Strasser on drums, and, for six of the pieces, Doug White on tenor sax, Neal brings the bass up front and makes it the focus of a relaxed but rhythmic musical universe. Whether carrying the tune alone, or holding a companiable dialog with the guitar or sax, he allows the melody to sing, embellishing it inventively but not losing its essence in a flurry of irrelevant notes.
"Blues for Red and Brown", by Mr. Miner, opens the album and sets the tone. Quietly elegant, it showcases the bass and provides opportunity for fine guitar and sax solos. Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is done as an extended bass solo. It works beautifully. "Put on a Happy Face", by Charles Strause, is a perfect example of the range of Neal's skills: his solos are interesting yet surprisingly simple, while his backing of the guitar during its solo is complex, supportive, yet never intrusive. It's like watching an excellent danseur during a ballet: he makes you hold your breath during his solos, but has impeccable partnering skills to support the ballerina during the pas de deux.
The closest to raucus this album gets is in the last number, "Spiffy", composed by Doug White and Neal Miner. Opening with a vocal chorus by the entire band, it moves into an up-tempo series of solos allowing the band members to show what they can do.
By the nature of its featured instrument, this album has a quiet and contemplative, almost soothing tone. Don't mistake it for "easy listening' music. The challenges, and rewards, are there.
Neal Miner: The Real Neal, Juniper Records, 440 E. 88th Street, Suite PHC, New York NY 101128. Email: maureen@juniperrecords.com
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