Britt Neal

Audio file available at www.brittneal.com/news.html - Blues Cruise Show

On the opening track from singer/songwriter Britt Neal's debut CD "Over That Bridge", Neal sets the pace for this thoroughly enjoyable album. "It's Destiny" is a light-hearted shuffle that works on all levels and showcases not only her writing abilities, but highlights the musicianship of both Britt and the very capable musicians that she employed to help make this CD work from beginning to end. "Keep Moving On" follows, and expands her range by introducing a pop-gospel feel and a sense of yearning without being whiney.

Born in Richmond, VA, Neal moved throughout the South as she grew up, daughter of a preacher. You can hear her gospel roots throughout the album, but her musical education is obviously well-rounded. It is easy to spot evidence of country, bluegrass, blues, R & B and pop in her songs.

The bluesy feel of the title track, "Over That Bridge", continues to draw the listener in, followed by an AOR pop flavored cut, "Chasing After You". This cut deserves some airplay and is one of the strongest commercial cuts on the collection.

Britt's vocal abilities are evident in the gospel-tinged "I'll Always Be Home". Throughout the album, Neal shows the vocal maturity of someone who has already had a string of successful albums. Reminiscent of the great Rita Coolidge, Neal's clear yet steamy vocals are soulful and confident.

A Clapton-esque blues number, "Which Way To Go", follows, and then a strong ballad, "I Dreamed Of You". "Last Chance" is another blues shuffle and sounds like it would be a great live bar favorite. As you can tell, this is a strong album with a good variety of material to keep the listener interested all the way through. The beautiful "My Soul Is Free" is another Rita Coolidge-style ballad with beautifully textured vocals.

Regi Ransdell lends some fine vocal support to "Something More", and the CD closes with the inspirational "Cora's Song". There is not a weak track on this album, and I highly recommend it to anyone who actually still sits down and listens to albums from beginning to end. You will not be disappointed.

- Mark Saxon, SGA

Britt Neal is no son of a preacher man. But she is the daughter of one. So, yes, her introduction to
the power of those black-and-white keys came while seated at the piano in the front of her father’s
church. While not busy playing hide-and-seek in the church graveyard, or sampling the grape juice
used for Communion wine, Britt cut her teeth on such Southern Baptist standards as
“Victory in Jesus” and “There’s Power in the Blood.”
The girl’s got roots, and a lot of them. Born in Richmond, V.A., she moved with her family
to Louisville, K.Y., then Fincastle, V.A., Walterboro, S.C., and High Point, N.C., as her dad studied
at seminary or got called from church to church. She spent vacations in Kenya and Tanzania
to visit her missionary grandparents and other gospel-spreading kin. She earned
her first college degree at Wake Forest University, an old Baptist school in the foothills of
the Blue Ridge Mountains. And she got herself another in Canberra, Australia, after spending
a year there studying the traditional songs of Indigenous Aborigines.

Preachers’ kids are known for turning out to be rebels, so maybe it’s no wonder Britt’s now
in New York, playing her heart out for the congregations of sorts who gather
in the city’s most music-loving holes-in-the-wall. Her sound is rich with rhythm, gospel
and blues, with glimpses every now and then of the world she’s heard
whenever she turned on her radio. Country and bluegrass, nyimbo and fjatpangarri,
and – after her family’s last transition to Edisto, a flat, swampy sea island on the South Carolina
coast – beach music, shag and good old Southern rock.

Britt sings of loves gained and loves lost, dreams denied and dreams longed for, and, of course,
her brand of faith: Walking the walk, and fighting the good fight.

If you’re looking for a girl schooled in Southern graces, Britt ain’t it. She’s about as
down to earth as they come. And when she lets loose with her savory voice and wandering fingertips, she warms the faces of all who gather around her piano. - The Edisto News

Sometimes, you go to a venue to see a show and you feel lucky if you see one performer that moves you. Rarely are you fortunate enough to see a show where everyone is exceptional, but recently, at the Baggot Inn, the Songwriters Guild’s first singer-songwriter night was just that. Three great performances by three talented women. And the Songwriters Guild’s new Singer songwriters home, the Baggot Inn, provided the perfect atmosphere. Their new sound system is one of the best in NY, and the engineering was done expertly. It easily accommodated the standing-room crowd, though you could hear a pin drop throughout most of the evening. I assume it was just as much a treat for the performers as the audience, not to have to scream to be heard.

Britt Neal opened the show, and this southern belle was the perfect start. Her smooth, lilting vocals on tender material and gritty, gospel-like tones on harder hitting material showed off her vocal versatility to its best advantage. As an added treat, Britt brought on Regi Ransdell and Galia Arad to add some great vocals. Words can’t describe her stirring, soulful music. Just go to her MySpace page (www.myspace.com/brittnealmusic) and hear it for yourself. One listen to “Keep Moving On”, “Last Chance” or “I Dreamed Of You” will convince. Britt was at ease on stage, and moved effortlessly from song to song. Often, people are moving around and are a bit noisy as a show starts, but Britt had full control of her audience. A beautiful set.
- March Newsletter

New York singer/songwriter Britt Neal performs a benefit concert recently in Williamsburg.
By ZAK MINOR

247-7429

May 9, 2008

Between performances in New York and Washington, D.C., singer/songwriter Britt Neal recently made a special trip to Williamsburg to perform a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.

Members of Walnut Hills Baptist Church in Williamsburg had fond memories of Neal, the daughter of the church pastor. She had sung at the church during a visit home, and members of the church's Agape Sunday School Class Relay For Life team invited her back to help their cause.

"When Tony Neal, our new pastor, started almost two years ago, Brittany — when she's here — would sing in church, and we knew she had talent, so we asked her to perform," team captain Bill Johnson said.

Always looking for a worthy cause, the Agape team has participated in Relay For Life since 2001. Over the years, team members, church members, family and friends have struggled with — or been lost to — cancer.

The Agape team holds fundraisers every year, usually a spaghetti dinner that features some form of entertainment.

"At the dinners, we usually have comic relief, groups or quartets. It's like a talent show or a lack-of-talent show," Johnson joked.

In an effort to boost the talent level and involve a larger part of the community, the team decided to try something different this year. That's why the team invited Neal, who performs regularly and has recorded an album — "Over That Bridge" — of gospel-influenced original music.

Neal, who sings and plays piano, was excited to lend her talent to the cause.

"I hope that people will enjoy their evening and enjoy the music, as well as learn a little bit about Relay For Life and make a contribution to the cause," she said. "It's a great opportunity to bring people together and have some entertainment and also raise awareness and hopefully raise money for a great cause."

According to Johnson, the event did just that. Between 140 and 150 people attended to hear Neal's self-described "bluesy" sound. Johnson said the event raised about $1,800. Considering that the team raises an average of $2,000 to $2,500 each year through a combination of fundraising efforts, that's an impressive figure for a single event.

But to the Agape team — named for a Greek word that means unconditional love — the amount doesn't matter.

"It's not as much as some other groups have raised, but for our class and our church, we see this more as a ministry," Johnson said.

For Neal, it was more than a request from her father's church that persuaded her to do the concert. "My family has had some scares with cancer, and I think it's relevant to most of society these days, whether it's through a friend, a family member or a colleague," she said.

Sitting behind a piano, Neal performed two half-hour sets, split by a performance by the church's Men's Ensemble. The eight-man singing group sang a medley of three gospel songs before handing the microphone back to Neal.

Neal thinks that a concert fits well with what Relay For Life is all about. Every year, the event brings people together from around the community and raises awareness of cancer. The disease affects individuals across economic and racial lines. Survivors of every age and ethnicity can be seen walking together.

"Music is the logical way to bring people together. That's what music does. It brings people together," Neal said.

When you first enter Neal's Web site, www.brittneal.com, a quote from Neal appears with a photo of the musician. It reads, "I just want to play music, good music. Feel-good music. Maybe make you think a little bit, too."

For the Agape Relay For Life Team, she accomplished just that.

This year's Williamsburg Relay For Life will start at 7 p.m. May 16 at Jamestown High School, 3751 John Tyler Highway. For more information, visit www.therelayforlife.org.



Copyright © 2008, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

- The Daily Press, Williamsburg, VA