Neara Russell

[Shela]

Shela, thanks for finding and sharing this. Neara is truly a talented young woman and, ultimately, perhaps the quick transition that happened last month (??) may be to her benefit. (Haley says everything always happens for a reason.) Hearing her on an acoustic piano (that it's a grand doesn't hurt), I can hear what a lovely touch she has and the ideas that she brings forth.

I don't know whether it's the type of electric piano she has (although I'm dubious about that) or the choices of sounds that she has "her friend" produce or, perhaps, the recordings themselves (that may well have been a significant factor!), but I kept waiting to hear her "cut loose" while backing up Haley and for that piano not to sound so tinny or canned.

While vid doesn't necessarily show the "cutting loose" that I would like to hear (and by "cutting loose" I mean a full out improvisation that I'm reasonably certain that she's capable of), it does demonstrate what a lyrical style she has when she plays.

I wish her the absolute best!!

I understand Neara has visited this site, so your comments might get to her. Some people in Twitter has been telling her that this post was here so...have to wait