Shelley Neill

Musically emerging later than many peers yet equipped with a richly textured, romantic timbre, the Boston educator and vocalist Shelley Neill has established herself as a steady presence on local stages. Her mentors include the nationally recognized jazz figures Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, John Blake, and Ted Dunbar, while Sathima Bea Benjamin, Sheila Jordan, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis rank among her primary inspirations. In 1998 she served as opener for Stanley Turrentine during the Boston Jazz Society 25th Anniversary Year Summer Jazz Festival. Throughout the 1990s she appeared regularly at Boston venues such as Ryles, Bob the Chef’s, Sandrina’s Jazz Café, Bullfinch’s, and additional spots. In 1999 she was selected as one of only ten recipients of an artist grant from the Boston Cultural Council. To retain full creative oversight, Neill has released both of her recordings on her own Boston-based Cobalt Blue Records. The first of these, Diaphanous Apertures, appeared in 1996 and earned favorable notices from reviewers across local and national outlets. Her follow-up, Music Sweet Music, came out in 1999 and mixes jazz standards with several original compositions. Neill remains active as both a performer and instructor in Boston.