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Aurora Nealand

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Aurora Nealand
Nealand performing at the French Quarter Festival in 2010
Nealand performing at the French Quarter Festival in 2010
Background information
BornPacifica, California, U.S.
Instrument(s)Saxophone, clarinet
Member of
  • Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses
  • Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers
  • Monocle
Alma materOberlin Conservatory of Music

Aurora Nealand is an American saxophonist, clarinetist, singer and composer. She leads her own band, Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses.[1]

Early life and education

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Born the youngest of four children in Pacifica, California,[1] to parents she calls "hippies",[2] Nealand moved to New Orleans in 2004 after earning a degree in music composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2001,[3] where she created her own major in music composition.[4]

While studying at Oberlin, Nealand spent eight months in New York City where she learned about Laurie Anderson, Brian Eno and Philip Glass.[2]

Career

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Nealand embarked on a cross country bicycle trip, during which she interviewed rural Americans and compiled their stories into a musical piece titled "American Dreams". The trip concluded in New Orleans, where she began playing traditional jazz, much of which she had grown up listening to in California. Nealand formed The Royal Roses in 2011 for a tribute concert to Sidney Bechet at Preservation Hall in New Orleans.[5] Along with the Royal Roses, Nealand also performs as a member of the rockabilly band Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers and solo under the name Monocle. In 2019, Nealand, under the name "Monocle", brought her project "KindHumanKind" to the New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center,[6] receiving a positive review from OffBeat magazine.[7] She frequently performs in a duo with New Orleans pianist and singer Tom McDermott. As of 2023, her latest project is Aurora Nealand and the Reed Minders.

Nealand was voted "Best Female Performer” by the 2016 Gambit awards, and her band was named "Best Traditional Jazz Band" in the 2015 and 2017 Big Easy Awards. She was named one of Downbeat Magazine's "Rising Stars" on both soprano saxophone and clarinet in 2017, 2018, 2020.[8]

Awards

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Downbeat Magazine 2017

Rising Star - Soprano Saxophone

Rising Star - Clarinet Big Easy Awards

Best Female Performer - 2016

Big Easy Awards - Best Jazz Band - 2016

McDowell Colony Resident

1Beat Music Fellow (USA)

Discography

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Aurora Nealand and the Royal Roses

Title Release date Label
Tribute To Sidney Bechet - Live in New Orleans April 29, 2011 Independent
Lookback Transmission April 24, 2014 Independent
Comeback Children April 11, 2016 Independent

Aurora Nealand/Tom McDermott

Title Release date Label
City of Timbres May 8, 2015 Independent
Live at Luthjen's March 2, 2020 CD Baby

Panorama Jazz Band

Title Release date Label
Best of the Good April 11, 2016 CD Baby
The Next One April 18, 2017 Independent

References

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  1. ^ a b Lucido Johnson, Sophie (December 2015). "The Gospel According to Aurora Nealand". Antigravity Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Thomkins, Gwen. "Aurora Nealand - New Orleans multi-instrumentalist". WWNO: Music Inside Out. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  3. ^ "Alumni and Faculty Notes | Oberlin Conservatory Magazine".
  4. ^ "Aurora Nealand". OneBeat. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  5. ^ "American Routes Shortcuts: Aurora Nealand". WWNO. April 9, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "Aurora Nealand at CAC". Country Roads Magazine. February 12, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  7. ^ Odell, Jennifer (June 26, 2017). "The Monocle (Aurora Nealand), "KindHumanKind" (Independent)". OffBeat Magazine. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
  8. ^ "Aurora Nealand". www.southarts.org. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
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