Jim McNeely

Murmuration and Adagio has two parts: The first is inspired by the murmuration of starlings; the amazing way a large flock flies in a giant cloud, in an incredible display of highly synchronized aviation. The members of the quartet are locked in a whole-tone cluster, quickly changing directions, flitting this way and that. Exhausted after a couple of minutes of this intense activity, they decide to settle into the trees, spontaneously breaking into the second part: a four-voice lyrical ballad whose melody is passed around from player to player, culminating in a solo by Sara Caswell before coming to its quiet conclusion.

Born in Chicago, pianist/composer Jim McNeely received a B.Mus. in composition from the University of Illinois. He moved to New York City in 1975. In 1978 he joined the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra and spent six years with that band and its successor, Mel Lewis and the Jazz Orchestra. In 1981 he began a four-year tenure with the Stan Getz Quartet, and 1990 saw him begin a five-year run with the Phil Woods Quintet. Jim contributed many compositions to both Stan and Phil’s bands, culminating in The Phil Woods Quintet Plays the Music of Jim McNeely (1995, TCoB). Those years also saw perform with countless other musicians on the New York scene, in formations ranging from duo to sextet.

Although Jim had been writing music for big band since his sophomore year in high school, he moved to New York to pursue a career as a jazz pianist. This began to change in 1979, when Thad Jones left the Jones/Lewis Orchestra and Mel Lewis brought in Bob Brookmeyer as musical director. Bob encouraged Jim to compose for Mel’s band. The first attempt was a disaster. But Bob heard a few things worthwhile, and said, “Write another one.” Which he did. It was a little better. The third one (Blue Note) was even better, and Mel recorded it.

In 1983 Brookmeyer brought Jim, along with Mel Lewis, to Cologne, Germany as a soloist his project with the WDR Big Band. He started to write for the WDR band, and thus began an 11-year relationship with them. He credits his time with the WDR band as being his real jazz composer’s workshop. It also led to subsequent work with UMO (Helsinki), The Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra (The Netherlands) and The Danish Radio Big Band, where he was chief conductor from 1998-2003. Meanwhile in the U.S. he wrote many arrangements for the Carnegie Hall Big Band. And in 1995 he re-joined The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (formerly Jones/Lewis), writing two CD’s for them in 1997 (Lickety Split) and 2005 (Up From the Skies).

Along with his writing for big band, Jim has written music for his ten-piece band (Group Therapy, 2001), and numerous orchestral compositions and arrangements, notably for The Metropole Orchestra and The Frankfurt Radio Symphony.

Currently he is chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band (since 2010) and composer-in-residence with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He has recently seen the release of two CD’s featuring his writing: Rituals, with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and Chris Potter; and Threnody, with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. His work has garnered him ten Grammy nominations and he was awarded a Grammy for his work with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra on Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard.