The Good Musician

TGM Exclusive: Interview with James Neel

by csnowden on June 29th, 2008

James and Gus photo by John Katz. Used with Gus’ permission.

The Good Musician interview with Dallas-based composer and sound designer, James Neel, principal of James Neel Music House. James is the very definition of “a musician’s musician.” And he’s been doing it for a long time. Maybe this interview will stir up some of the old gang to comment, hint, hint.

1. Who is your greatest unsung influence (as opposed to favorite famous composer/performer)?

Richard King Hamilton - now living in Los Angeles (incredible musician - all world). When I was a junior in high school, he showed me that you could make a living as a musician - that there was a life out there -that there was something going on. I stopped thinking about being a chemistry major in college, and going to Purdue, or being an English major. He told me to go to North Texas State, and play in the lab bands - but above all, be a composition major, and learn everything that I could (lead that horse to water…). My senior year, I was the president of the orchestra (the best in the state of Florida) - went to the Stan Kenton Clinics, studied with Johnny Richards, met Tom Boras and Lou Marini. Had sessions with Cannonball Adderley and Donald Byrd - and met Leon Breedon, who later was my saxophone teacher at North Texas. If Dick Hamilton hadn’t taken the time to let me hang out with him…nothing. However - how do you compare any influence to hearing Debussy, and Miles, and the Beatles. (Yes, I like Cold Play, Air, Snow Patrol, and the soundtrack to Lost In Translation - Elmer Bernstein kills -so does Alan Sylvestri, Moby, Stevie Wonder, Michel Legrand) - the list goes on forever. Leon Breedon’s a cool guy, btw.

2. How did they influence you?

See the above. To be redundant, Debussy, for the beauty of all that is orchestral. Miles, for the unbelievable purity of his sound and his sense of space and time. And the Beatles, for making creative music fun. Dick Hamilton for being an inspiring influence, and for telling me - you can do this. Go do it.

3.a. What is your musical background (formal and informal)?

Flutophone in fifth grade (I remember thinking, “Gee, this thing sounds really stupid”) - to violin in sixth grade (because my girl friend was playing violin) - to trumpet in junior high (yep, she switched to trumpet) - to first chair in all-state orchestra, Florida 1962 (which I was unable to properly attend…I had had my braces removed, and I couldn’t play a middle C) - to saxophone at North Texas. I was playing lead alto in a lab band six months after buying my first sax. Four and a half years later, after almost finishing my degree, and getting busted (not enough space here, for that), I bailed and drove out to LA, following another girlfriend, who had run off with my best friend. (Girls have had more to do with the music business than teachers will ever own up to). After that, I played in the rock band Green, in Los Angeles, and with various people in Dallas. Green’s drummer, Gary Casebeer, is now my ex brother-in-law - there go those girls, again. Most of what I’ve learned about music came later, though. Creating soundtracks for TV and radio commercials afforded me the opportunity to create whatever came to mind - and get paid for it. What a concept. The same goes for writing, playing, recording, mixing and mastering soundtracks for documentaries and corporate films. All of this led up to creating the sound design for Hasbro and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars Trivial Pursuit” DVD game (now in stores, everywhere). I also had to edit and pitch shift John Williams’ scores. I kept dreading a 3 AM phone call, and hearing a voice saying, “Dude, you butchered my music…what’s your address?”

3.b. What obstacles have you encountered in the music business, and what did you do about it?

The main obstacle, besides low-down, cheatin’, bottom dwelling, scum sucking, club owners and the over-the-hill- bitches that buy their cars, booze, and clothes…you know who you are - the rest of of you are okay - the biggest problem was arriving in Denton, circa 1963, Miles Davis albums in hand (THE MAN), and slowly realizing that there was a PROBLEM. My landlord told me that I couldn’t have a “darkie” as a roommate. That would’ve been a friend of Tex Allen, brother of Phylicia Rashad. Tex was then rooming with Billy Harper (look him up). Tex’s friend was just trying to buddy up. And I was like, fine - he seemed like an up-standing young man, like me. I didn’t know that all of the black students (excuse me, Afro-Americans, a term I loathe…what am I? - a Euro-American?) had to stay “off campus,” across the tracks, so to speak. Well, I also didn’t know “across the tracks.” Couple of years later, I watched the movie “Lilies of the Field” and “In the Heat of the Night” - Sidney Poitier was THE MAN. All you had to do, was look up at the screen - his talent and humanity screamed at you. Of course, it was just a movie, but…anyway, I’m going to vote for Barack Obama. He’s got big shoes to fill…I’m thinking after seeing his ears, he’s probably got even bigger feet. Miles would like that…So, I don’t know what I did to “overcome” it. I do know that I open the door for ANY woman, black, white, or green. I hold the door open, because…she’s a woman. End of story. My mother would like that.

4. How important is it to get a formal music education?

I’m going to go out on a limb, here (where I belong). It depends on how talented you are. If you’re playing clarinet, and aspire to be a teacher, you have to get a “formal education” - I’m picturing a tux… On the other hand, if you’re Jaco Pastorious - forget about it. Just get out there. I defy you to picture Jaco in a tux. On another note (ahem), Andy Timmons went to the University of Miami - I would hate to have to notate his guitar solos…the hand is always quicker than the eye. But education is where you find it - a personal teacher, a college…or the school of hard knocks. You can never get enough. I remember BB King talking about how he wished he “knew more about chords.” And I thought, well, maybe I’m glad you don’t…I can picture a guitar teacher, after hearing BB play a few licks - “Oops, time to go…no charge.”

5. Do you have an articulated musical philosophy? What is it?

Music is the art of sound in time. You can have art, and you can have sound. If you can’t put them together, and make it work for you, and the people that love you - try doing something else. On the other hand, there are only three, pure diminished seventh chords - the others are all knockoffs (inversions). Timbre and voicings are the glory of orchestration - the same goes for playing guitar. Also, I have noticed, over the years, that there are two distinctions in delineating musicians, per se. Some people “create,” and the rest are talented, and can enjoy playing someone elses “creations.” You know who you are. People who want to play and blow their brains out their ears are different from people who can make an instrument work, and enjoy just playing what they’ve learned, or what they can “read.” The symphony orchestra is filled with people who would listen to John Coltrane and think, “Oh well.” Gotta love everybody. Chaka Kahn doesn’t need a lead sheet. Jaco Pastorious listened to C.C. Rider on a Saturday night in New Orleans, showed up at the gig on Thursday, and without being able to read music, played the entire set flawlessly, breaks and all, because he heard it, once…and he remembered it. Heifetz played the hell out of anything put in front him, and played from memory at the concert. Hans Zimmer doesn’t read music. Why should he? He has orchestrators and copyists to hand his music over to.

6. What are your goals as a solo musician? Collaborative musician?

I’m pretty much done - and happy. Grandfathers are happy people, for the most part. I am trying to play blues guitar better, live…love guitar.

7. What is your dream music gig?

I’ve already had it, a few years back, playing flute in a Deep Ellum club. I sat in, one night, with Andy Timmons, Cindy Horstman, Mike Medina, and Keith Carlock (before Keith moved to New York). I floated off and had a great time. A few weeks later, sitting in at the same gig, I sucked…couldn’t wait to start the car. Can’t explain it.

8. If you could perform with anyone, anywhere, any genre, who/where/what would it be?

A nice, cozy blues bar, every Friday night. I would play for free. Love that music. The other players need to be just as bad as I am. I wouldn’t want to step out of line.

9. What advice would you have for an aspiring musician?

Go for it. But it’s a really tough life, and there are a lot of hangers on, and flotsam, out there. If you can’t stand to live without it, life won’t want you to. I was recently asked how I had had such a long career in the music and sound design business, and I said, “Sheer defiance.”

James Neel, circa 1969. Photo by The Good Musician

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