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Neal Creque, Teacher of Jazz Piano Since 1988, Dies
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Neal Creque, teacher of jazz piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music since 1988, died on Friday, December 1, following a lengthy illness. He was 60 years old.
Creque was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1940, and moved to the mainland early in his career. He established himself immediately as a composer and pianist, living first in New York City, where he played with the Latin jazz ensemble Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers, and then in Cleveland, where he moved in the early 1970s. From his Cleveland base he toured, performed and recorded with such jazz luminaries as Mongo Santamaria, Grant Green, Leon Thomas, Carmen McCrae, Quincy Jones, Sarah Vaughn, Melba Moore, and Oliver Nelson. He appeared as soloist with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony and the Canton Symphony Orchestra, and he was a featured performer in Russia at the Kiev Music Fest in 1995. He composed more than 2,000 works during his career, of which more than 80 have been recorded.
In addition to his work as a member of the faculty at Oberlin, he taught at Cleveland State University and the Cleveland Music School Settlement. He was a member of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra from 1989 until his death.
A memorial service and concert will be held on Wednesday, December 6, at 12:00 noon in Finney Chapel.
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