Jim McNeely 1949 - 2025

It is with a heavy heart that I share my reflections on the passing of Jim McNeely, a giant of jazz and one of the most important figures in my life.

Jim was a teacher, a mentor, a friend, sometimes even a therapist. Some of my fondest memories of private lessons are of bringing in lead-sheet style tunes and playing them duo with him. I remember thinking, “Pinch me, is this really happening? I’m playing duo with Jim McNeely!”

We all know he was an extraordinary composer, but the lessons he passed on about being a good person and a professional artist are just as important. He was always open to learning. This is what I take away most from Jim. He believed there was something to be absorbed from everyone, regardless of where they were in their career. He often described his teaching as a two-way exchange and would leave a lesson thinking, “Gee, I wish I had thought of that.” I remember seeing him attend Rich DeRosa’s class at JEN in 2024 and Remy LeBoeuf’s class at ISJAC that same year, showing up with genuine excitement to learn. For Jim, music and composition were continual journeys; the lifelong pursuit of knowledge and self-development was the goal.

His influence on JazzComposersPresent is immense; I often refer to him as the “Godfather” of the site. We were thrilled when he agreed to be one of our inaugural Presenting Artists. Many of our Core Team members, including Miho Hazama, Florian Hoefner, Steve McFarlane, Scott Ninmer, Andrew Rathbun, and Erica Seguine, as well as a large number of our Presenting Artists studied with him, and his masterful music has profoundly affected us all.

Most recently, on September 10, 2025, I had the honor of co-producing the “Celebrating Jim McNeely” concert in New York. This was one of the most challenging yet meaningful undertakings of my life. It was a beautiful tribute to Jim, and I am so grateful that he was able to be there to hear his life’s work honored by the best musicians in the world. The love in the room was palpable, and Jim stayed afterward to shake everyone’s hand. Co-producing this concert also brought the five producers, Darcy James Argue, Mike Holober, Migiwa Miyajima, Rufus Reid, and myself, together in a way none of us expected. That connection will remain with us for the rest of our lives, which I consider to be Jim’s final gift to the five of us.

I will forever treasure Jim’s faith in me and the gift of his mentorship and friendship. I intend to continue honoring Jim by carrying forward his teachings about life and music.

All of us at JazzComposersPresent extend our condolences and love to Marie, Clare, Pete, Grace, and the extended McNeely family.

With love and gratitude,

Daniel Jamieson

Founder & Artistic Director, JazzComposersPresent.com