Aurora Nealand is an accomplished saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, composer, bandleader, and instigator. Whether playing with her traditional jazz band, The Royal Roses, dueting with ace pianist Tom McDermott, or forging experimental music with her Monocle project, Nealand brings impeccable musicianship, warm emotion, and an adventuresome spirit to any stage.
Nealand was raised in a Bohemian, music-loving family in California and Colorado, and only began studying formally when she attended Oberlin Conservatory. After a stint with the Jacques Lecoq School of Physical Theatre in Paris and time spent cycling across America, she landed in New Orleans in 2004, where she absorbed traditional jazz while performing in the streets. Post-Katrina, she joined the Panorama Jazz Band and did stints with the New Orleans Moonshiners and other trad bands.
She launched The Royal Roses in 2010, releasing an acclaimed tribute to Sidney Bechet recorded live at Preservation Hall. That same year she began making regular appearances on the HBO series “Treme,” and Downbeat named her one of its Top Ten Rising Stars. The Royal Roses became festival favorites; they’ve released several CDs and tour around the world.
Over the past decade Nealand has stretched her musical curiosity in many directions, while still remaining rooted in the traditional jazz realm. She fronts the punkabilly band Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers, plays with Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship, collaborates with fellow experimental musician Helen Gillet (as The Jessicas), and writes original theatre pieces and film scores.
