Wikipedia:
Harold O'Neal (born March 27, 1981) is a Tanzanian - American jazz pianist, composer, record producer, actor, martial artist, and Bboy.
Career
The last protégé of the late jazz master Andrew Hill, O'neal, who grew up surrounded by the Kansas City tradition, began working with musical jazz luminaries from a young age -- touring the world with Bobby Watson when he was 19 and dropping out of the Manhattan School of Music to replace pianist Jason Moran in the influential band, The Greg Osby 4. As a composer, Harold is known for blending the genres of 20th-century impressionist music with modern jazz. His recent solo album, "Marvelous Fantasy" (Smalls Records, 2011), is influenced by the works of Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy and has received critical acclaim from the American press.
In addition to performing, O'Neal is equally active as a producer in the worlds of Hip-Hop and R&B. As a member of the legendary Ski Beatz's band, The Senseis, Harold has toured extensively with underground hip-hop artists and has produced tracks for Mac Miller, Cam'Ron, Murs, and Curren$y. In 2012, Harold began a collaboration with super-producer Jerry Duplessis, a.k.a. Jerry Wonda (The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Shakira, Justin Bieber), signing on to work as a producer and writer for Wonda Music and Platinum Sound Studios. Harold's upcoming album, "Man on the Street" (Bluroc/EMI, 2012), will be the first jazz album distributed by Def Jam.
Facts
Harold is considered my many to be a polymath; he is able to solve a Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds, is a black belt in Kenpo karate, a Shiatsu practitioner, and is a magician.He is the nephew of former Black Panther leader, Pete O'Neal.
Selected Discography
Harold O'Neal - "The Man On The Street", 2012 (Soon to be released, BluRoc Records)Ski Beatz - "Twilight", 2012 (BluRoc Records)Harold O'Neal - "Marvelous Fantasy", 2011 (Smalls Records)Murs - "Love and Rockets", 2011 (Bluroc Records)Cam'Ron & Vado - "Blu Tops", 2011 (Bluroc Records)Tabi Boney - "The Summer Years", 2011 (Bluroc Records)Ski Beatz - "24 Hour Karate School Pt 2", 2011 (BluRoc Records)Harold O'Neal - "Whirling Mantis", 2010 (Smalls Records)Bobby Watson - "From the Heart", 2008 (Palmetto)Ahmad Alaadeen - "And the Beauty of it All", 2007 (ASR)Harold O'Neal - "Charlies Suite", 2007 (PME)Ahmad Alaadeen - "New Africa Suite", 2006 (ASR)Leron Thomas - "Dirty Draws", 2004 (Leron Thomas Music)Greg Osby - "St. Louis Shoes", 2003 (Blue Note)
Film/TV/DVD
HBO's "Boardwalk Empire", 2010Jay Z's "Young Forever" Music Video, 2009MTV's "Sucker Free", 2008Greg Osby Duo's "An Evening of Jazz Masterworks", 2008 (Blue Note/Boosey & Hawkes)
Press
Time Out New York: Critics Pick [1]JAZZIZ Magazine: Review [2], paragraph 49Downbeat Magazine: Review [3], pg. 70NPR's All Things Considered, Christmas Day Edition: Interview [4]NPR's Studio 360: Profile [5]New York Times: Critics Choice [6]Downbeat Magazine: Feature [7], pg.23WNYC Soundcheck: Interview [8]NPR Fresh Air: Interview [9]New York Times: Critics Choice [10]JAZZIZ Magazine: Review [11]
