The Band
Anyone who travels as much as Feliciano must surround himself with a group of people who not only do the job, and do the job well, but who also provide for the group as a whole, a sense of oneness, of commitment to a common goal and shared camaraderie. Jose has been very fortunate on this score because (and anyone who has had the opportunity to see one of his performances lately knows) his touring entourage is comprised of a group of really wonderful fellows who are absolutely top-notch.
Jose's on-stage players include his Connecticut-based drummer, "Tyger" MacNeal who has been on the road with Feliciano for over ten years now; Greg Smith, from Southern California, his keyboard player and musical director who has been working with Jose on tour the longest of all the guys currently-- since 1987; Bob Conti, the percussionist (an Melissa’s godfather), also from Southern Cal. ; "newcomer", Federico Pol, from Vancouver, Washington, is Jose's awesome bassist and keyboard player, Tyler McHugh, who adds depth and character to Jose's arrangements. All very talented guys, who sound great on stage courtesy of Jim Durkin, our Connecticut-based Sound Engineer and Production Coordinator. Jim has his own production company, locally, called, In Phase Audio, and Jose feels very fortunate to have the expert, himself, on tour with him whenever he leaves home. As with the entire entourage he says, "I don't leave home without 'em!" Very nice, Jose. The band, of course, is immune to the Feliciano Humor and amused by it---at least most of the time.
The Band Biographies
Click the band members names to read their bios, click the name again or 'close box' to close.
Tyger MacNeal
DRUMMER
In 1992, Tyger MacNeal, a solid and versatile drummer of 25 years, joined Jose to tour extensively around the world.
Having had performed with others including The Four Tops, The Fifth Dimension, Rosemary Clooney, Billy Eckstein, Freddy
Fender, The Shirelles and Little Anthony, he had, at the time, been working with the Average White Band, recording and
performing with them throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and the U.S., so clearly, Tyger was no stranger to the road.
He stepped in and has been part of Jose's rhythm section ever since.
When at home in Connecticut, Tyger is a member and co-writer for the smooth Jazz group, Private Island. He also maintains
a busy freelance schedule as studio musician, private drum instructor, lyricist and father.
Bob Conti
PERCUSSIONIST
Bob Conti has worked with Jose on and off (but mostly on!) for over twenty years, traveling with him, and on many occasions, recording and offering support as an extended member of the Feliciano Family. As Melissa’s godfather, Bobby has participated in scores of family gatherings and has enjoyed watching the family grow.
Born in Brooklyn, his first dollar was earned in a subway after an impromptu acapella performance with friends as a thirteen year-old. Shortly afterward, he and his mother moved to California where Bobby decided early on that he wanted to make his life’s work in the music industry.
Today, his credits precede him as a gifted and accomplished musician, writer, producer and performer. He has been involved with a dozen or more platinum albums with artists including Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Bon Jovi, Paul Simon and countless others. His percussion work has enhanced orchestras from the Tonight Show to the Academy Awards and Jose feels fortunate to have that strength in support of his own band and is proud to call him ‘brother.’
Greg Smith
PIANIST & MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Greg Smith was born and raised in Barrington, Rhode Island and studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston until, at the
age of 25, he moved to Los Angeles, Ca. He worked closely with Michael Jackson preparing the songs "Billie Jean" and "Beat It"
for the "Thriller" album and played keyboards on both of them. He worked with Diana Ross performing on her hit single, "Muscles"
and in 1983 joined Marvin Gaye's band, remaining active with him until his untimely death in April of 1984.
During 1983 and 1984 Greg performed in the studio orchestras of the "Dukes of Hazzard" and the "Mike Hammer" television shows,
playing both the keyboards and the trombone.
Greg was also part of the recording group "Animotion". They had two top ten singles, "Obsession" in 1985 and "Room to Move" in
1989. He also recorded with Sting, UB 40, Martika, Chery Lynn and 5 Star.
In 1987 Greg joined Jose's band where he says he's "Found a permanent home!" He plays piano for Jose and is the musical director.
Tyler McHugh
ORCHESTRAL KEYBOARD
In spending a little time with the fellow who produces the intricate orchestral sounds that you hear when you listen to
Jose's live performances on stage, you'll quickly come to see that he is an extraordinary fellow who moves to the beat of
a different drummer, so to speak. His quiet demeanor may lead you to assume that he has had a more classical background
and he'll confirm that with, "I listened frequently to the orchestral recordings of composers such as Ravel, Tchaikovsky,
Rossini and Verdi and actually first started to play piano by ear....." Then he'll pause a moment and continue that he
"...soon discovered, however, that using my hands was much easier!" Underneath that quiet demeanor you'll quickly become
aware of his wit and also soon realize that you're in the presence of a gentleman whose heart is as noble as his reputation.
In listening to him perform on stage, you'll discover that he is both a talented and gifted player; and an invaluable asset
to Jose's music on the road.
A classically trained musician who first auditioned on a brass instrument, Ty was accepted to a traditional music school,
where he studied his craft extensively and performed many concerts of the classical and symphonic repertoire. It was an
experience which, he says "…Has been an influence in my selecting and editing orchestral sounds for the synthesizers
played on Jose's concerts." Fortunately for all of us, Ty has been recreating Jose's studio sound, which fans from
all around the world have come to hear, for almost twenty years.
John Hatton
BASSIST
A musician since he was a very little boy, John Hatton, started playing the violin when he was just 6 years old. He continued exploring the stringed instruments through high school into his adulthood, choosing jazz as his first love until it took him from his Heartland home of Kansas to locations all over the world performing with everyone from Bob Dylan to Bob Hope and beyond. His education and experience enabled him to become one of the most talented and sought-after bassists in the industry.
The quintessential musician, John is performing constantly, but still works Jose’s schedule into his calendar whenever possible and Jose is thrilled and honored that he is willing to do so.
Jim Durkin
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Jim Durkin has said for years, "I'm just the sound guy..." though he does so with a wry smile that speaks volumes. So could
his resume, but this fellow from New England won't hear of it.
Born in Stamford, CT of Greek and Irish parents, his father was the chief engineer for WHN Radio in New York City and a
recording engineer for Capital and London Records, as well. Jim doesn't really know how his own interest in sound began,
though quite possibly it stemmed from this parental connection. He started his own sound company, In Phase Audio, in Wilton
Connecticut in 1984, which is a full service sound reinforcement company for temporary and permanent systems for the tri-state area.
With regard to his approach to his live shows, he says, "I come from a school of thought, a philosophy, whereby you really want to
take the sound system out of the equation, per se, and plug the artist into the audience, so to speak. Jose is so natural, if you
know what I mean, so raw that you want it to be transparent. You know, if a band stinks, I guess you want to cover it up with a
lot of effects and stuff to make it sound right but here, with Jose and the guys, it's just not that way."
Upon the Feliciano's move to Connecticut in 1990, Jose and Susan met Jim on a number of local dates. They were so impressed with
him that they invited him to travel with Jose as his sound tech and "general authority on all issues at hand" (hence the quip,
"I'm just the sound guy..."). Well, Jose's 'sound' on the road has never been sweeter and because of that, Jose and his fans
have never been happier.
Al Payson
AUDIO ENGINEER & BASSIST
Hi, I'm Al Payson. I've been with Jose now since March of 1997. Since
then, I have worked with him on hundreds of songs and projects of all kinds in his studio and have had an absolute blast doing it! I'm very proud of my work with Jose. His musicianship, stamina and commitment to his music are a pleasure to be around, not to mention his sense of humor. Knowing Jose and having the pleasure of working with him, has been an excellent learning and rewarding experience for me.
I played bass in my very first band back when I was 18. Later, I found myself working and playing in all sorts of musical and audio situations: I played in jazz/fusion bands and have been a bassist in several of the "50's circuit" bands. I worked for "Studio Instrument Rentals", in New York City as a "roadie" for a few years and at "Alto Music" selling instruments, doing repairs and teaching bass. In 1992, I took a job at "Don Elliott Productions,” in Weston Connecticut, as an audio engineer, which is how I eventually met Jose. From 1994 to 1997 I played with a blues band named "Blue Law", with guitarist, Andy Powel of Wishbone Ash. A CD entitled "Gonna Getcha" was released on Griffin records, on which I played the bass and co-wrote two songs. In 1998, I played bass for Andy with Wishbone Ash on a tour of Germany and in 2001 and 2002, I played at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with the Burr Johnson Band.
In 2008, I graduated from the Computer Systems Technology program at Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Connecticut with an Associates Degree in Web Development. I co-produced 3 songs and played bass on 2 tracks from Jose’s CD, “Senor Bachata,” which won two Grammy Awards for him that same year and now, too, I alternate with John Hatton as bassist on the road. It has become yet another exciting and fulfilling challenge in my musical career.
Jose's First Band
Jose's first band, however, was quite a different story. As a teenager, he was part of a jazz ensemble they called "The Modern Sound Trio". Bobby Grogen was the drummer, Bliss Rodriguez, the pianist, and of course a very young Jose, played the electric guitar. They played at school dances and at the Lighthouse for the Blind in New York City, and even on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour, a major television variety show in the 1950's and '60's.
Later, during the Light My Fire period of his career, the band consisted of the most warmly remembered and sentimentally regarded members, Ted Arnold on bass (who was the best man at Jose's and Susan's wedding -- way back when --and they, in turn, are godparents to Teddy's first son), and the incomparable and beloved Paulinho Magalhaes, drummer and percussionist, who passed away in 1978. Along with Jose, this small combo embodied the ultimate in brotherhood, both musically and personally. It was a special time for Jose on the road where the three "banded" together in a truly unique manner. There is a place in his heart where those times together still live; he and his music are better for it.
