Fintan O Neill

Pianist/Composer - Fintan O’Neill’s musical training started early, as he came from a musical family in his native Ireland (his mother, for example, sang operatic songs and played piano). After years of classical piano lessons (and a few years of tenor saxophone instruction), Fintan spent his college years playing in rock groups and found himself increasingly drawn to jazz.
The young pianist plunged full time into jazz studies and performance, and by 1987 he was a prize winner in the Jazz Piano category in the Dublin Music Festival Competition (Feis Ceoil). In 1988, he began playing with the top Irish Jazz musicians in Dublin and was featured in the Tommy Halferty Trio at the Cork Jazz Festival.
Late in 1989, Fintan moved to New York City and began studies with several top New York pianists including Kenny Werner, James Williams and Larry Willis. Shortly after that, Fintan began playing on the New York scene with many top players, including James Spaulding, Regina Carter, Steve Wilson, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Larry Coryell, Art Baron, Don Sickler, Brian Lynch, Javon Jackson, Abraham Burton, Theodross Avery, Dwayne Broadnax, Essiet Essiet, Dennis Irwin, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Pierce, Tony Reedus, Jeremy Pelt, Bill Mobley, Billy Drummond, Steve Kroon, Allen Harris, John Ellis, Al Harewood, David O’Rourke, Don Pate, Jed Levy, Mark Johnson, Dennis Mitcheltree, BIlly Johnson, et al.
Fintan’s debut album as a leader “In The Moment “, on Amosaya records (AM-2530-CD), has received much critical acclaim from Jazz journalists, radio stations and the public alike. The album features three Jazz Messengers, Billy Pierce, Brian Lynch, and Essiet Essiet, with Mark Johnson and produced by James Williams.
Fintan’s arrangements have been featured at a number of concerts in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital room.
Fintan is the featured pianist with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra under the direction of David O’Rourke and the Nelson Riddle family.

Reviews

“...pianist Fintan O’Neill played consistently inventive solos that sparkled or snapped as the mood demanded...”
Bob Blumenthal, Boston Globe (From a Harvard concert of David O’Rourke and Lewis Nash’s Celtic Jazz Collective)

"Finely executed and well played in all respects, this is a fine example of the genre of hard bop in the mid '90s."
Steve Loewy, All Music Guide

“...for many the top group of the Cork Jazz Festival was one assembled by pianist Fintan O’Neill ...always driving, hard swinging.”
Horst Schade, Jazz Podium Magazine (Germany)

“...marvelous quintet...bop with a contemporary flavour, dispensed by a brawny but subtle quintet in whose take no prisoners ambiance O’Neill more than holds his own...the album is also a triumph for O’Neill as a composer, whose ‘Miles to go' and ‘Mr Bennett’ provoke some of the best work all round.”
Ray Comiskey, Irish Times

Fintan may be heard on a number of fine recordings including:
As a leader
“In The Moment” - The Fintan O’Neill Quintet (Amosaya records AM-2530), available on Amazon.com
As a sideman
“Aislinn” - David O’Rourke and Lewis Nash’s Celtic Jazz Collective (Mapleshade)
“Under My Hat”- Patty Carpenter & Melissa Shetler (Epiphany)
“Spirit Level” - Hugh Buckley
CD Purchase
You can purchase the music of Fintan O'Neill at the CD Baby website. Please visit his page for more details.