Johnny O'Neal (born October 10, 1956 in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

) is an American

neo-bop jazz Neo-bop (also called neotraditionalist) refers to a style of jazz that gained popularity in the 1980s among musicians who found greater aesthetic affinity for acoustically based, swinging, melodic forms of jazz than for free jazz and jazz fusion th ...

pianist and vocalist. His playing ranges from the technically virtuosic to the tenderest of ballad interpretations. Though unique in style, he is influenced by many jazz elders, including

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

and

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

. He has led many recording dates with musicians such as

Russell Malone Russell Malone (born November 8, 1963) is an American jazz guitarist. He began working with Jimmy Smith in 1988 and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall throughout the 1990s.Neuroth, Matt. (2008). ''Bio: Russell Malone.'' Retr ...

and many others. He was a 1997 inductee of the

Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame (AJHF) was founded in 1978, and opened a museum on September 18, 1993, with a mission "to foster, encourage, educate, and cultivate a general appreciation of the medium of jazz music as a legitimate, original and dis ...

Life and career

In 1974, O'Neal moved to

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, where he worked as a full-time musician. In Birmingham he worked with local jazz musicians, such as Jerry Grundhofer, Dave Amaral,

Cleveland Eaton Cleveland Josephus Eaton II (August 31, 1939July 5, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and head of his own record company in Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His most famous accompl ...

, and

Ray Reach Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. (born August 3, 1948) is an American pianist, vocalist, guitarist, composer, arranger, music producer, and educator, named by AL.com as one of "30 Alabamians who changed jazz history." He serves as President and CEO of ...

. He moved to New York City to perform with

Clark Terry Clark Virgil Terry Jr. (December 14, 1920 – February 21, 2015) was an American swing and bebop trumpeter, a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, and a composer and educator. He played with Charlie Barnet (1947), Count Basie (1948–51), Duke ...

in 1981, and also landed a regular job at the Blue Note, accompanying such musicians as

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

, Ray Brown, Nancy Wilson,

Joe Pass Joe Pass (born Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua; January 13, 1929 – May 23, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. Pass is well known for his work stemming from numerous collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson and vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, an ...

and

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

. He was a member of

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

and the Jazz Messengers for two years from 1982 to 1983 and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1985. On the recommendation of Oscar Peterson, O'Neal portrayed Art Tatum in the 2004 movie '' Ray'', recreating Tatum's sound on the song "Yesterdays". A 2006 DVD ''Tight'', captured O'Neal at the height of his powers. Included is an interview with pianist

Mulgrew Miller Mulgrew Miller (August 13, 1955 – May 29, 2013) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained in ...

, who stated,

In my generation of musicians there are two who are probably the most naturally talented. They both happen to be from
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
. One is
Kenny Garrett Kenny Garrett (born October 9, 1960) is an American post-bop jazz musician and composer who gained recognition in his youth as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and for his time with Miles Davis's band. His primary instruments are alto and ...
, the well-known saxophonist. The other is pianist Johnny O'Neal.

Playing style

"There are so many outstanding things about Johnny's playing. Two or three of the most outstanding: number one, the touch. Johnny has a million dollar touch. Very few people touch the piano like that to get that kind of sound and feeling ... The other thing is his feeling of swing, which is so natural." On June 10 and 11, 2016 O'Neal was featured in "Lush Life: Celebrating Billy Strayhorn," performing with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He received a standing ovation.

Discography

*1983: ''Coming Out'' (Concord Jazz) *1985: ''Soulful Swinging'' (Parkwood) *1985: ''Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge'' (Parkwood) *1995: ''On the Montreal Scene'' ( Justin Time) *2002: ''In Good Hands'' (Jazzabel) *2013: ''Live at Smalls'' *2017: ''In The Moment'' With

*1982: ''

Oh-By the Way ''Oh-By the Way'' is an album by the drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1982 in the Netherlands and released on the Dutch Timeless label.

'' (Timeless)

External links

Johnny O'Neal on Myspace.com
* Johnny O'Neal profile at AllMusic
Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame

All About Jazz review March 3, 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneal, Johnny Living people 1956 births Musicians from Detroit Musicians from Birmingham, Alabama American jazz pianists American male pianists 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from Michigan Jazz musicians from Alabama 21st-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Justin Time Records artists