September 2, 2025

Celebrating Jim McNeely: A special tribute to jazz composer and former MSM faculty member Jim McNeely on September 10

On September 10, the illustrious career of jazz composer Jim McNeely will be celebrated in a concert at the DiMenna Center on West 37th Street in New York. The event brings together many from the MSM Community and others who pays tribute to the esteemed musician, and his music.

The concert features performances of some of the most iconic compositions from across his career, performed by an 18-piece jazz orchestra stacked with key McNeely associates. The concert includes appearances by special guests John Scofield (guitar), Dick Oatts (alto sax), Ed Neumeister (trombone), Martin Wind (bass), Adam Nussbaum (drums), and John Riley (drums).

The ensemble is conducted by Rufus Reid, Mike Holober, Darcy James Argue, Migiwa Miyajima, and Daniel Jamieson, who are also organizing and producing the event, in collaboration with JazzComposersPresent.com.

ABOUT JIM McNEELY

Born in Chicago, Jim McNeely moved to New York City in 1975. A musician’s musician, Jim’s career spans over five decades, from his earliest days playing with — and writing for — Stan Getz, Phil Woods, and Mel Lewis, through his indispensable recordings with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (listen to them here, and here), to his affiliations with acclaimed European ensembles like the WDR Big Band, the Danish Radio Big Band, and the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, where he held a twelve-year tenure as chief conductor. His work has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards.

Jim McNeely was a faculty member at MSM for 15 years, from 2008–2022. Learn more about him here.

Musicians taking part in the Jim McNeely tribute, including MSM alumni and MSM College faculty members, past and present (in bold):

REEDS:
Ben Kono
Billy Drewes
Rich Perry: former MSM faculty member
Ralph Lalama
Gary Smulyan: former MSM faculty member

TROMBONES:
John Mosca: former MSM faculty member
Luís Bonilla (MM ’04): alumnus and former MSM faculty member
Jason Jackson (MM ’95): alumnus
Jennifer Wharton

TRUMPETS:
James De La Garza
Tanya Darby (BM ’98): alumnus
Ingrid Jensen: MSM Jazz Trumpet faculty, and former MSM Dean of Jazz
Scott Wendholt: MSM Jazz Trumpet faculty member
Stuart Mack (MM ’18): alumnus

RHYTHM SECTION:
Sebastian Noelle: guitar
Adam Birnbaum: piano
Mike Holober: piano, MSM Jazz Composition faculty member
Hans Glawischnig: (MM 94), alumnus, bass
Dennis Mackrel: drum set

PRODUCERS:
Darcy James Argue: MSM Jazz Composition faculty
Mike Holober: MSM Jazz Composition faculty
Daniel Jamieson (MM ’10): alumnus and former student of Jim McNeely
Migiwa Miyajima
Rufus Reid

SPECIAL GUESTS:
John Scofield
John Riley (MM ’85): MSM Jazz Drum Set faculty
Adam Nussbaum
Dick Oatts: former MSM faculty
Ed Neumeister
Martin Wind

Jim McNeely conducted the MSM Jazz Orchestra in February 2023, in a special concert featuring his music.

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