Neal Smith

http://nealsmithjazz.com

Born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Neal Smith has been playing drums since the age of 5. By the time he completed high school he had achieved a remarkable list of performance accomplishments and earned an impressive array of awards, scholarships, and honors. With the support of his family, Neal continued his studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music where he received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Performance, the first African-American to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from the Conservatory.

In addition to his academic training, Neal has studied with Michael Carvin, Vernell Fournier, Jeff Hamilton, Jack DeJohnette, Greg Bandy, Paul Samuels, Tom Freer, Bruce Collie, and Michael Rosen.

Neal performs regularly in clubs and concert halls, at colleges and universities, and at U.S. and International Jazz Festivals. He has also played for shows, including the Off-Broadway hits, Generations, produced by Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, and BoBos, written and produced by James McBride with Ed Shockley and Donna Trinkoff. Neal's performance schedule (Itinerary) takes him all over the world including the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.

Neal leads his own group, which performs original compositions as well as classic arrangements of jazz standards. He also performs regularly with other groups including the Cyrus Chestnut Trio. He has cut a number of recordings with jazz colleagues (Albums).