Al Neese was born in Greensboro, NC. A jazz trumpeter, he lived in New York City from 1951-1975, where he participated in many loft jam sessions with Freddie Redd, Dannie Richmond, and others in the early 1960s. In this oral history, Neese talks about growing up in North Carolina and moving to New York City in 1951 to pursue a life as a jazz musician. Neese lived on the Lower East Side, was involved with the jazz scene in the West Village, and spent a great deal of time at the Jazz Loft. Neese discusses W. Eugene Smith's surreptitious recording techniques, Thelonious Monk's work at the Jazz Loft, and other luminaries in the New York jazz community including Freddie Redd, Countess Pannonica de Koenigswarter.
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MP3
JL Interview, A Neese 1 and 2.doc