Neal Smith

Neal Smith, an accomplished jazz percussionist and instructor, has earned recognition for his robustly swinging command of acoustic post-bop. He surfaced in the 2000s through sideman work with Brian Lynch and Cyrus Chestnut, subsequently establishing the NAS imprint and issuing his first leader dates there, including the 2005 album Swingin' Is Believin'. A quintet concert recording, Live at Smalls, followed in 2010. His participation on Jeff Scott’s 2023 project Passion for Bach and Coltrane brought him a Grammy for Best Classical Compendium.

Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Smith took up drums at the age of five. He progressed rapidly through his school years and was already performing at a high level by his mid-teens. After secondary education he enrolled at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he completed a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies and Performance, and he supplemented that training with private lessons from Vernell Fournier, Jeff Hamilton, Gordon Gottlieb, and others.

Since leaving Oberlin he has appeared with Brian Lynch, Cyrus Chestnut, Tom Harrell, Anita Baker, and additional artists. Beyond leading his own ensembles, Smith has held teaching positions at Berklee College of Music, The New School, and Longy School of Music. As founder of the NAS label he made his recording debut as a leader in 2005 with the simultaneous release of Some of My Favorite Songs Are… and Swingin’ Is Believin’. The 2010 quintet album Live at Smalls featured Eric Alexander, Steve Wilson, Mulgrew Miller, Mark Whitfield, and Dezron Douglas. In 2023 Smith contributed to Passion for Bach and Coltrane by Jeff Scott, which received the Grammy for Best Classical Compendium.