All musics are possible. NAIL brings together many different elements and combines them in new ways, simultaneously forging new connections and discovering new sonic landscapes.

Started in 1997 by "Machine" keyboardist Neil Alexander, NAIL reflects his 30 years of composiing, performing and recording experience. And they groove like HELL

A little about Neil

Primarily self-taught, Neil Alexander was performing, composing and arranging by age 13.

In 2004 with his contemporary electric jazz ensemble NAIL he released Galvanized, his 4th CD as a bandleader. He does session work as both player and programmer, and has composed more than 100 works for small ensembles of various instrumentation.

He has received grants from meet the composer and the NYS Council for the Arts; performed 20th Century works by Stravinsky, Cage, and others; taught music clinics at both high school and college level in modern music technologies; produced concerts in both small venues and large outdoor settings; and done sound design and music concrete (including assembling sound effect libraries and live tape manipulation).

He has composed for independent films and/or been musical director for Modern Dance and Alternative Theater companies and has just completed his tenth year touring with the notoriously successful Pink Floyd Tribute "The Machine".

In addition to NAIL he occasionally performs solo acoustically and/or electronically as Logical Oscillator. He and his wife Nita Rae operate a small recording studio in upstate NY and maintain a private recording company, Pdog Records. On the web at www.pdogrecords.com, or www.nailmusic.com.

© Neil Alexander

Jazz synthesist Neil Alexander celebrates the release of "GALVANIZED", the new disc from his innovative electric Jazz group NAIL. A professional musician with a varied background, Neil is adept in the usually disparate worlds of Jazz, Funk, Ambient, Electronica, Rock and Classical. He finds a way to bring all these styles together in a cohesive format.

NAIL is a tight versatile unit shifting and combining the aforementioned styles forming an expanded musical vocabulary.

Their new CD "GALVANIZED" (Pdog Records #00531) features drummer Dean Sharp (David Torn, Moby, Rachel Sage) and bassist Dave Hofstra (John Zorn, Microscopic Sextet), both masters from the New York experimental music scene. "GALVANIZED" is improvisational, rich in texture and variety, and maintains Neil's signature sound and style.

Lush pads, screaming guitars, strange synths, environmental sounds and more inhabit this sonic landscape, knit tightly together by Sharp and Hofstra. NAIL's music covers a range of musical possibilities - from hard swinging post bop to heavy funk, electronica and sustained dreamy soundscapes.

At the core is an emphasis on improvisation and a solid foundation in Jazz. This flexibility enables them to fit in the explosive "Jam Band" genre alongside John Scofield and Medeski, Martin & Wood. NAIL's lineup includes drummer Amit Shamir (Charnett Moffet) and bassist Joseph Pellatier.

They are frequently joined by collaborators such as Norbert Stachel on Saxophone (Tower of Power, Roger Waters Band), long time associate Steve Sacco on percussion and electronics, and guitarist Mark Dziuba.

And while the focus is on Neil's original compositions, their sets can contain covers by Ralph Towner, Bill Evans, Jan Garbarek, Jeff Beck, and curiously arranged Jazz standards. Having performed and/or recorded in a variety of situations (Modern Dance, Avant Garde Theater, Film, and studio work) including 9 years of touring with The Machine (successful Pink Floyd Tribute /Jam Band), Neil's experience on stage and in the studio carries over to NAIL performances.

Nothing is left out of the "stew." Recently they began incorporating Electronic, Trance & Jungle. While Neil continues to tour with The Machine, he maintains the other creative outlets of solo acoustic piano performances and a solo electronic act he calls "Logical Oscillator", performed entirely on laptop computer. Check him out on the web at www.pdogrecords.com.