From the Burbank (CA) Leader (8/12/12):
“Tenor saxophonist Big Jay McNeely has been a musical revolutionary for decades. His first recording, the sinuous, irresistible 1949 instrumental ‘Deacon’s Hop,’ ignited a rhythm-and-blues explosion that heralded and hastened the rise of rock ‘n’ roll. His volcanic live shows reached frenzy pitch so reliably that within three years he was banned from performing anywhere in Los Angeles County. Almost four decades later, his performance at a Berlin club the same night that the infamous Berlin Wall came down won him a local rep as ‘the New Joshua.'”
Read more here and, if you’re in the Los Angeles area, check out Big Jay in person on Wednesday nights at Viva Cantina in Burbank.
