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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.

Michael McNeill: Barcode Poetry

Read "Barcode Poetry" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
October 22, 2024

Pianist Michael McNeill has pursued a number of projects since his debut release, Passageways, in 2013, each of which has defined his distinctive niche as a musician informed by both avant-garde and conventional jazz. On Barcode Poetry, it is the former impulse that prevails, as McNeill and his esteemed colleagues--Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, Dave Ballou on trumpet, and Shelly Purdy on vibes and percussion--engage in lengthy studies in texture and abstraction rather than straightforward melodic expression.

Album Review

John Bacon / Michael McNeill / Danny Ziemann: Refractions

$Read "Refractions" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello$

by Nicholas F. Mondello
May 16, 2020

The Thelonious Monk canon has proved to be fertile ground for jazz musicians' explorations. The reasons range from a sincere and deep appreciation of Monk's melodic and harmonic approaches to a sort of a quirky fascination with the eccentricity of some of Monk's off-center sounds. Pianist Michael McNeill's trio effort, Refractions, is less a hagiography of all things Monk, more the crew setting a musical challenge for themselves, then diving deeply into seven Monk classics. The result is an enlightening ...

Album Review

Jordan Ponzi: The First Journey

Read "The First Journey" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello

by Nicholas F. Mondello
March 25, 2020

The First Journey from bassist, educator Jordan Ponzi is a classic trio side which delivers a kaleidoscope of textures, tempos, and superb playing. The 7-track recording packs plenty of punch and variety within—and it's a winner. Jordan Ponzi's eclectic compositions offer fine launch pads for superior improv and great ensemble interaction. “Sign Unseen" is a terrific opening cut that has McNeill's keys calling out over Ponzi's arco bass and ultimately takes off at white-hot speed. “Odd Shuffle" is ...

Album Review

Michael McNeill Trio: Flight

Read "Flight" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
October 7, 2015

On his second release as a leader Flight pianist Michael McNeill elegantly embellishes his own intricate compositions with bold spontaneity. He imbues the melodic elements of the album with subtle angularity and maintains a strong lyrical sense even while flirting with dissonance.The contemplative “Za," for instance, has a crystalline harmonic structure within which McNeill has carefully woven silent pauses that enhance its intimacy. His sparse chiming keys and drummer Phil Haynes' low rumble support bassist Ken Filiano's eloquent ...

Album Review

Michael McNeill Trio: Flight

by Budd Kopman
September 8, 2015

Michael McNeill and his trio (bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Phil Haynes) return after Passageways with the marvelous Flight. The first notes of “Placid Ruffled" indicate McNeill's classical background and compositional intent. The album is extremely well recorded, allowing, at least with headphones, for every overtone and their interactions to be heard clearly (especially in “Land"). This sound world envelopes the ear and prepares the way for music that lies between the purely abstract, tunes and sound paintings. ...

Album Review

Michael McNeill Trio: Passageways

Read "Passageways" reviewed by Hrayr Attarian

by Hrayr Attarian
March 11, 2013

The rhythm trio is a well-established and ubiquitous format in jazz. Its fluidity and flexibility allow for a wide range of expression from traditional to advanced with the majority of recordings being solidly in the mainstream. Pianist Michael McNeill's exhilarating and innovative debut recording Passageways pushes the harmonic boundaries of the ensemble into unique and intriguing territories.The classically trained Buffalo native leads his intimate group through five of his own originals that allow ample room for spontaneous creativity. ...

Album Review

Michael McNeill Trio: Passageways

Read "Passageways" reviewed by Eyal Hareuveni

by Eyal Hareuveni
January 31, 2013

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 has a mature, personal voice, developed through ...

Performance / Tour

Michael McNeill With Drew Gress & Phil Haynes Tonight In Brooklyn

Source: Michael McNeill
December 7, 2012

Michael McNeill’s trio with the bassist Drew Gress and the drummer Phil Haynes explores the pianist’s original compositions, which range from lyrical ballads, to hard-driving jazz, to avant-garde soundscapes. Gress and Haynes are a seasoned rhythm team — their collaboration goes back nearly three decades, and they appear together on some 18 albums — and with McNeill they push and pull the pianist’s music in new directions. Over the past four years McNeill has become an integral part of the ...
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Event

Tonight: "Phantom Of The Opera" & Members Of The New Buffalo Jazz Octet

Source: Michael McNeill
October 26, 2012

A little over a year ago saxophonist Kelly Bucheger and I talked about starting an octet to play some of our original jazz music. The musicians we gathered into the New Buffalo Jazz Octet were: tenor/soprano saxophonist Nelson Rivera, baritone saxophonist Steve Baczkowksi, trumpeter Tim Clarke, trombonist Phil Sims, bassist Dave Arenius, and drummer John Bacon. We also brought on board conductor Brendan Fitzgerald to help steer the band through the new material. Looking at this list of improvisers from ...
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Recording

Michael McNeill Trio: Passageways

Source: Michael McNeill
November 3, 2011

Pianist Michael McNeill releases his debut CD as a leader, with renowned improvisers Ken Filiano (bass) and Phil Haynes (drums). The disc features five of McNeill's original compositions, performed live in Buffalo, NY in December 2010. Buffalo engineer Bill Sack recorded the concert, and Jon Rosenberg provided the mixing and mastering. CDs and digital downloads may be ordered through BandCamp, where you can also listen to three of the five tracks in their entirety. Some comments from the pianist/composer: Most ...
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“… 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)

“… 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))

"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

Location

Buffalo

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.