Past And Present

Jim McNeely hails from Chicago and has been one of the most distinguished bandleaders in big band jazz for many years. His musical career began as a jazz pianist alongside legends such as Chet Baker and Stan Getz. From 1978 he was a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. His excellent reputation, however, is based not least on his work with many international big bands and jazz orchestras, which has earned him a dozen Grammy nominations to date. Jim McNeely has also been in demand in Europe for decades, having been principal conductor with the Danish Radio Big Band and with the hr-Bigband. So the title "Past & Present" should be taken quite literally, because McNeely is still full of creative energy and drive after all these years. Together with the WDR Big Band, he undertakes a musical foray through his works of the past decades.