Live at Smalls Neal Smith

• 1 The Cup Bearers (Live) 14:04
• 2 Junior (Live) 08:20
• 3 What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Live) 14:58
• 4 With Malice Towards None (Live) 12:16
• 5 A Portrait of You (Live) 14:02
• 6 Stew Peas (Live) 08:19
• 7 Fifty-Six (Live) 07:55
• Total Runtime 01:19:54

Info for Live at Smalls

Drummer Neal Smith has a hell of a group here -- Eric Alexander on tenor, Steve Wilson on alto, Mark Whitfield on guitar, and Mulgrew Miller on piano -- a lineup that he more than lives up to with his tight leadership, and great choice of material for the date! The tunes include two numbers by Tom McIntosh -- a telling inclusion, given the way the album brings together the same strands of soul, swinging, and cerebral that McIntosh brought to his compositions in the early 60s. Smith's got a great way of bringing out the most sensitive aspects of the tunes, while still setting the players free to find their own voice -- thanks partly to the long takes on these live recordings -- and titles include "Fifty Six", "Stew Peas", "A Portrait Of You", "With Malice Towards None", "The Cup Bearers", and "Junior".

Steve Wilson, alto saxophone
Eric Alexander, tenor saxophone
Mulgrew Miller, piano
Mark Whitfield, guitar
Dezron Douglas, double bass
Neal Smith, drums

Recorded Live at Smalls Jazz Club, August 23 & 24, 2009.

Neal Smith
Born and raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Neal Smith has been playing drums since the age of five. 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 Vernell Fournier, Greg Bandy, Paul Samuels, Jeff Hamilton,Tom Freer, Bruce Collie, and Gordon Gottlieb.

Neal performs regularly in clubs and concert halls, at colleges and universities, and at U.S. and International Jazz Festivals. Neal leads his own group, which performs original compositions as well as classic arrangements of jazz standards.

Neal also performs regularly with internationally recognized artists and has shared the stage with the likes of Tom Harrell, Anita Baker, John Hicks, Donald Byrd, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Fortune, Jimmy Owens, Eddie Harris, Isaac Hayes, Gary Bartz, Marlena Shaw, Benny Golson, Donald Walden, Frank Morgan, Brian Lynch, Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Russell Malone, Frank Foster, Dewey Redman, Mark Whitfield, Ronnie Mathews, Rufus Reid, Wendel Logan, James Moody, Marlena Shaw, Charles Davis and Vanessa Rubin.

Neal also leads his own group, which performs original compositions as well as classic arrangements of jazz standards.

Beyond performing, Neal loves to teach developing drummers. He is currently a Professor at Berklee College of Music, The New School and Longy School of Music.

Recognizing the need for a record label that focuses exclusively on the production of jazz recordings, Neal founded the NAS label in 2004.

Neal Smith endorses Sonor Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, Evans Drumheads, Vic Firth Sticks + Brushes and Accessories, Hamilton Cymbal Stands and Axis Pedals.

This album contains no booklet.