Neal Miner
Acoustic Bass
56 age
February 3, 1970 Birthday
New York, New York, U.S. Birthplace
www.nealminer.com Website
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Shows
About
Neal Miner is a jazz bassist, composer, filmmaker, and educator who has been a fixture of the New York City jazz scene since age nineteen. Introduced to jazz by his father, Bill Miner, a noted record collector and discographer, he studied at the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Manhattan School of Music. Known for his hard-swinging walking bass lines and rich acoustic tone, he is a dedicated gut-string player who runs his own label, Gut String Records. He has toured and recorded with Jon Hendricks since 1998, backed Annie Ross regularly from 2005 to 2015, and joined Jane Monheit's band in 2007. His sideman credits include James Moody, Frank Wess, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein, and Harry Allen. His leader albums include Sweet Tooth, Dog House Blues, and the 2025 release Invisibility. He teaches jazz bass at The New School and The City College of New York.
Trivia
Miner is a dedicated gut-string bassist who stockpiled approximately twenty discontinued Golden Spiral G strings when Mad Cow disease regulations shut down production in the early 2000s, ensuring decades of his preferred setup. He is also a filmmaker — his 2012 short documentary Dennis' Bass chronicles the instrument of the late jazz bassist Dennis Irwin and its return to the bandstand. He runs his own record label, Gut String Records, named after his string preference. His website tagline reads "Bassist | Composer | Filmmaker."
Early Life
Neal Miner was born on February 3, 1970, in Manhattan, New York City, into a family deeply connected to jazz. His father, Bill Miner, was a respected jazz record collector and discographer who introduced Neal to a wide range of jazz from an early age, taking him to clubs and concerts and ensuring he received quality musical instruction. For high school, Miner attended the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He then studied at the Manhattan School of Music under classical bassist Orin O'Brien of the New York Philharmonic and jazz bassist John Webber, whose swing and sound concept proved foundational. He cites Dennis Irwin, Paul Chambers, Tommy Williams, Peter Washington, and Christian McBride as major influences on his walking bass approach. By age nineteen, he was performing regularly on the New York jazz scene.
Neal Miner Solos
2023
Acoustic Bass solo - Moon River - 2023
3/4 waltz in G major at 83 BPM