Neil Alexander & Nail: 20th Anniversary @the Falcon Underground !! at The Falcon

Neil Alexander & NAIL - the Funky World Jazz Fusion project of keyboardist and composer Neil Alexander - celebrates their 20th anniversary. With new tunes and new arrangements, NAIL continues to evolve, exploring and incorporating new musical elements. Focusing on original music, "synthmaster" Neil remains the driving force and primary composer and for the group.

Starting more than two decades ago, the original lineup included bassist Keith Macksoud, drummer Scott Morehouse, and guitarist Dan Johanson. In addition to the ever-changing keyboard palate - generous synthesizers, organ and piano - an important part of the NAIL sound is Neil‘s musical relationship with longtime drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker (who joined in 2007), preceded by a stretch of rotating drummers such as Dean Sharp, Todd Isler and Joel Rosenblatt, among many others. Bassists have included luminaries Steve Rust, Charlie Kniceley and Dave Anderson, as well as NYC players Gary Kelly and Rene Hart. ...

read more

Neil Alexander & NAIL - the Funky World Jazz Fusion project of keyboardist and composer Neil Alexander - celebrates their 20th anniversary. With new tunes and new arrangements, NAIL continues to evolve, exploring and incorporating new musical elements. Focusing on original music, "synthmaster" Neil remains the driving force and primary composer and for the group.

Starting more than two decades ago, the original lineup included bassist Keith Macksoud, drummer Scott Morehouse, and guitarist Dan Johanson. In addition to the ever-changing keyboard palate - generous synthesizers, organ and piano - an important part of the NAIL sound is Neil‘s musical relationship with longtime drummer Nadav Snir-Zelniker (who joined in 2007), preceded by a stretch of rotating drummers such as Dean Sharp, Todd Isler and Joel Rosenblatt, among many others. Bassists have included luminaries Steve Rust, Charlie Kniceley and Dave Anderson, as well as NYC players Gary Kelly and Rene Hart.

Having grown into music during the 70’s (when keyboard players frequently used five, eight, or even 15 instruments on stage), Neil's energy was spent distancing himself from that excess by using a streamlined setup. Today, in the spirit of the band’s revitalization, Neil returns to a “traditional” multi-keyboard setup, after using a remote MIDI controller (also known as a “keytar”) for 15 years.

After a two-year hiatus to pursue a solo piano tour, a return to these roots felt natural for Neil, who cites keyboardist Joe Zawinul (Cannonball Adderly; Weather Report; et.al.) as a major influence.

“I love the orchestration aspect of it”, says Neil. “A lot of our earlier material was composed for a specific set of gear. Now that I’m back to using a traditional rig I’ve had to re-work all the tunes for the new setup, which has breathed incredible new life into the music.“

NAIL has released four CDs, the latest recorded live at the Blue Note’s “Late Night Groove Series” in NYC. A new disc is planned as a finale to their 20th anniversary tour dates.

“I love the orchestration aspect of it”, says Neil. “A lot of our earlier material was composed for a specific set of gear. Now I’ve had to re-work all the tunes for the new setup which has breathed new life into the music.“

show less