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Artist
Buell Neidlinger
instrumentaljazzcontemporary classicalexperimentalamerican
about
Buell Neidlinger (March 2, 1936 - March 16, 2018) was an American cellist and double bassist. He has worked with a variety of pop and jazz performers, prominently with iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor in the 1950s and '60s. Neidlinger was born in Westport, Connecticut. He played cello in his youth, and began studying double bass after a music teacher recommended it to strengthen his hands. He took lessons from jazz bassist Walter Page. In his teens, Neidlinger suffered a nervous breakdown which he attributed to the pressure of being perceived as a child prodigy on cello. While institutionalized, he met jazz pianist Joe Sullivan who was in treatment for alcoholism. After attending Yale University studying orchestral music, he moved to New York City and began playing in various jazz settings. He joined Cecil Taylor's group in 1955, played with Herbie Nichols and recorded extensively with Taylor's groups with Steve Lacy and with Archie Shepp among others until 1961. He was also involved with new directions in classical music (John Cage, Mauricio Kagel, George Crumb) and Gunther Schuller' s Third Stream music. He has worked extensively as an orchestral and as a session bassist before becoming a musical educator at the New England Conservatory and CalArts. Together with Marty Krystall he founded K2B2 Records. In 1983, he performed on the Antilles Records release Swingrass '83. Discography As Leader 1961: New York City R&B (Barnaby) with Cecil Taylor 1980: Ready for the 90's