A long standing dream kinda comes true....

Here's the story: 

The week of April 2nd, I had what seemed to me to be an amazing opportunity - to do a gig with one of those musicians I spent serious time listening to as a teen/20 something. That musician was - and is - Tony "Thunder" Smith, who worked with both the Jan Hammer Group and John McLaughln's One Truth Band. Tony's an amzing drummer, navagating time signatures like 21/16, 14/8 etc with ease, while laying it down in the pocket like nobody's business. Plus, he sings his ass off. He's been touring and performng with rock legend Lou Reed since 1995.

I first met Tony in Boston, where he lives and teaches (at Berklee College of Music). I was performing with Gregg Bendian's Mahavishnu Project; he came to the show, and Gregg introduced us. On my next trip to Boston (for Splash, an MIT Program for High School kids my daughter was doing) I contacted Tony and suggested we get together and "have a little play". We did jam in Tony's basement studio, and that ended up being great fun indeed. We stayed in touch, and about a year later Tony called to say he wanted to record and do a show at Berklee. After much logistical jiggery pokery dates were worked out. Tony asked me to suggest a bassist (of which I did several; Tony decided to go with Peter Brendler); tunes were selected (mostly Jan Hammer Group stuff). Tony chose the name "12:21 Project" for various reasons (including the fact that one of the tunes is called "Twenty One").

I arrived in Boston tuesday afternoon and we set up in Tony's studio and began to rehearse. Peter arrived tuesday evening and joined us. We pretty much rehearsed all day & night wednesday and all day thursday, stopping in the afternoon to break down and head to the Berklee Performance Center where we were scheduled to perform. Tony also called two friends of his from Berklee - guitarist Thaddeus Hogarth and percussionist Ricardo Monzon, both stellar players. And perform we did! Thaddeus & I, along with Tony's daughter Isabel, sang background vocals.

I daresay we did not rehearse enough - (especially the heavy tunes) - but overall the show went quite well and was terrific fun. We played all the killer Jan Hammer stuff from the "Oh Yeah" disc and some of the vocal material from "Melodies" (the JHG's second disc.) Tho Peter & I had both brought originals we didn't quite make it the that point. It was also streamed live on the web; I know there were a couple of y'all watching!  And it was recorded both in audio & video. I've got the audio files and will post them to soundcloud when I get a chance.

The other thrill for me was to be at Berklee, that infamous place that has played host to so many amazing people. Just walking around the halls and the neighborhood was exciting for this NYC boy.

Here's some pix I took during the course of the 3 days. Enjoy.

 - Thanks for reading!

So here we are: 2010. It's been a wacky ride, especially the last few weeks! I've been so busy with gigs now (thanks heavens!) that I can't see straight. My "Year end wrap up" post never actually materialized, but at some point I will touch on the things that started last year and are starting to flower and bear fruit this year. Things like "The Mahavishnu Project" - which is picking up steam in a subtle and most interesting way. But I digress - and I'll come back to this with pix, video, and a story to tell. Promise.

This post is about looking forward - to possibilities, and to the future of Live Music. It's about bringing music right to you, the listener. That's right, I'm taking about House Concerts. Starting this year, I will be embarking on a new path: Solo House Concerts.

I'm sure most (if not all) of you have heard of this delightful phenomenon. Basically what it means is that A performer, one who's music you're interested in, comes to your house and does an intimate semi-private performance for you and your friends. People can bring food (ranging from snacks to a pot-luck dinner); it can be a cover charge or suggested donation. (I have to cover costs, and these will vary by location.) The important thing is everyone gets to have a meaningful musical experience - up close and personal, both for the fans and the artist. Basically, everyone wins! Some great info about the House Concert ideology and how it works can be found Here:

Steve Lawson's Excellent Page: http://www.stevelawson.net/2009/03/house-concert-hosting-a-beginners-guide/

Gaia Consort: http://gaiaconsort.com/house.html

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_concert

At this time, I've yet to do a solo performance (in someone's house, that is - I've done tons of solo gigs at traditional venues), so I've no video to post at the moment. I am setting up a local performance for recording so you can see exactly what I'm offering, from setup stills and live video. But till then, here's a brief description of what I do, especially for those coming to my music for the first time: I am a jazz pianist and electronica artist. What I've done is combine these 2 styles into something unique; something that blends jazz, rock, electronics, funk and ambient music into a seamless blend. My music is both composed & improvised; I perform a combination of familiar jazz standards with a twist; gentle ambient electronica improvisations, and a variety of combinations of all the aforementioned styles. I will bring  an ever-so-small electronic setup to your house. If you have a piano (and it's a reasonably good instrument and in tune), I can use it along with the electronics - or keep it straight up acoustic if you prefer. I have my own style at the piano (somewhat along the lines of Keith Jarret and Bill Evans, with a modern classical vibe thrown in). In addition to standards and improvisations I also do select classical works - Gershwin, Bartok, Mozart etc. Stuff I'm SURE you and your friends will enjoy. :) I will have some video to post soon, of both my electronic, acoustic, and "electro-acoustic" material. Meanwhile, I have a whole bunch of stuff that you can look at to get a better idea of what I'm about, at my YOUTUBE page. I will be in the Los Angeles Area at the end of July and currently have an open date on July 23rd. Hit me up on twitter (@nailmusic) if you'd like to set something up! Also wanted to mention that my group NAIL - in either acoustic or electric form - is also available for House Concerts, although we'd need a bit more room (and a bit more money...). Here's my group NAIL performing at our first house concert in May 2009:

So - stay tuned for an actual House Concert Page to be posted on this site with vids, booking info, contact form, etc. Thanks for looking. I agree with the current sentiment that House Concerts are indeed the way forward. Peace!

In keeping in line with the new music business model - or one of the new business models, for the seem to be an endless procession of them, most of which I don't understand (or haven't taken the time to understand - deep breath now) - I offer for you, the last official release from my band Neil Alexander & NAIL; "Tugging At The Infinite" on the most wonderful Bandcamp website. For a limited time, you can get this excellent (wink wink) CD for whatever price you want - including $0.00! As of now, or until I take some time (between managing websites/data, booking gigs, raising a family and any of the other seemingly endless things one does in life) to actually learn the new business models, the $0.00 pricing is in effect till January 30th. So get it while ya can!

C'mon, it don't cost ya a cent. Besides, I'm betting you're gonna like it. :)

- Neil